Dueling at Dawn
by ej8012
Summary: Ike is sick and resting, so Mia must find a dueling partner. Soren isn't amused with her choice- him! Still, what he thought would be pointless and a waste of time turns out to show him interesting insights- Mia is more enjoyable then he thought and...S/M
1. Chapter 1

**Title: **Dueling at Dawn

**Summary: **Ike is sick and shouldn't (read: can't) duel at dawn anymore. Sadly, Mia's left without a dueling partner. Soren always wakes up early to prepare for the day, so once Mia discovers this, he's also dueling as soon as he can read the words in his tome. What should be the worst three days of Soren's life are strangely entertaining... MiaxSoren, by request, dedicated to pinkdiamond4000.

**Rating:** T

**A/N: **I took this on as a request from pinkdiamond. That's literally the only reason I'm doing this, still, its not that bad. Anyway, when you think about it, the pairing isn't that strange. Now some Soren pairings are just totally random. ANYWAY! If you've got any fics you want me to write (only Path of Radiance or Radiant Dawn) just tell me in a review which I know you'll all give. Uh, right?

* * *

Waking up at dawn every morning gave Mia the fighting edge she enjoyed- the ability to train longer, probably harder, then the others. The ability to fight longer then most of the others too. Except for Ike, of course, which prompted Mia's dawn duels with the 'boss'. Mia enjoyed them every ounce she said she did- possibly more. This being said, she always expected to see Ike ready for their fight, him swinging Ragnell (Sanaki decided it was best in the hands of a hero, like Ike, then in a room locked up), a look of determination on his face. And while the trueblade had yet to win a duel (though some had been very close), she never lost heart. It could be said that Mia was determined to beat Ike- and she was.

Soren was, contrary to popular belief, a morning person. Waking up as early as possible was, in his mind, the best way to utilize time. Sleep was for others- Soren read and worked on his spells during the early mornings. As some of the mercenaries said, he would stop eating if he could. Eating was a waste of time- time that could be spent training, making lists, making battle plans, sorting weapons, buying new weapons, ordering suplies- ah! At times it would over-run Soren's mind and he would lock himself in his room, forcing himself to calm down and continue to work. Peace, quiet, tranqulity. Three things Soren followed by heart, and they worked for him.

* * *

"What do you mean I shouldn't- achoo!- get up at dawn?" Ike asked Rhys. The healer sighed as he put his heal staff aside as it wouldn't cure a common cold. Which, incidently, Ike was now experiencing. Ike was about to stand when Mist gently push him back down again.

"You should listen to Rhys Ike! You'll get better so much faster if you listen to him then if you go on waking up early enough to be our rooster!" She chided, smiling all the same. Soren walked into the room suddenly, his face as impassive and emotionless as it usually was.

"Rhys, Mist." He acknowledged them with the slightest of nods, turning to Ike. "Ike. I have the report on the weapons you want-ack!" Soren was pushed aside roughly by Mia, who seemed to hardly even notice him. She was panting slightly and still covered in a thin layer of sweat. She had, obviously to Soren, come from the training grounds and heard that Ike was being seen by Rhys (how she knew this was beyond Soren).

"Ike! I heard you were being seen by Rhys! Are you ok? Are you still gonna be able to train with me? Are you gonna be ok?" She asked quickly, her words almost blending into each other. Soren brushed off his robes and let out a small cough. "Oh! Sorry Soren!" Mia added, turning towards him suddenly and looking him over, hands on hips. "Yah need to get more muscle on yourself- then you'll be tougher!" Soren sighed and didn't bother replying- he didn't need too. Ike sighed and glanced at Rhys and the poor priest and brushed off his robes.

"Ah, Mia... Um, Ike'll be fine, he just needs rest, water, and to _not get up at dawn every morning_." Rhys empasized the last part of the sentence, making Mia frown. "Its best he takes things slowly., relaxes... Doesn't train for a few days-" Rhys was cut off by Mia's outburst of surprise.

"Wh-What?" She looked like she was going to continue (and, Soren thought, go on a long rant), but Ike sighed a little louder and the room fell quiet. Mist shifted from foot to foot, nervous and wondering if she could leave. Soren sighed, brushing his robes with one hand as the other clutched his papers.

"Mia, it'll only be a few days or so. We can spar right after Rhys says I'm not sick anymore, ok?" Ike told her, getting up. He raised an eyebrow at Mist who shrugged- what could she do if the comander of the mercenaries wanted to get out of the room? "I'm going to be in my room resting, Soren, if you could drop the report off later that'll be good." Soren nodded.

"Of course Ike." At that Ike yawned and made his way out of the room, which seemed a lot emptier once he left. Soren made his way out next, not even glancing at the others. He, unlike the other mercenaries, always had something to do.

* * *

"Dang! Now I don't have anyone to spar with! Boyd- yah sure you won't wake up early?" Mia pestered as the ax-weilder shook his head as he wiped some sweat off his brow.

"Sorry Mia, I just don't get up that early. I don't see what's so bad, he'll get better soon 'nough. Ike's a toughy, yah know?" Mia sighed, hands on hips now. They were talking at the edge of the training field, watching Oscar and Titania spar. A little ways off was Shinon and Gatrie, who were destroying targets with various levels of venom (the shots in the eyes were generally Shinon, Gatrie prefering to hack them to bits). Rolf was somewhere with Mist, probably hanging around the river.

Mia couldn't see Ike but could probably guess where he was- in his room sleeping while Rhys took care of him. The trueblade sighed and continued her arguement.

"Boyd! If I miss even a day I'll loose my edge! I need to stay sharp if I ever want to beat Boss!" The weaver sighed, hoisting his ax on his shoulder and shrugging, as if to say 'well what can I do?'.

"Well there's the others, can't yah spar with Oscar or Titania? Even Shinon- there's gotta be others." Mia rolled her eyes and stomped her foot- how dumb did Boyd really think she was? She could beat him with one hand- and had on several ocasions.

"Well _duh _there's the others, but Gatrie never gets up early enough without a bucket of water being poured on him. Oscar has to make breakfast before anything else, so he's busy. Mist and Rolf can't get up early enough without falling over trying to spar, Shinon's usually drunk and has a massive hangover. Titania is always busy doing something else, like making sure everyone is ok. Honestly, there _is_ no one else!" Mia cried out, waving her arms to prove her point. Boyd scratched his head and shrugged again, it was obvious he wasn't going to be much of a help.

Then Soren walked onto the field and started to rip the training dummies apart with elwind- muttering under his breath and casting wicked spells. Mia sighed and dropped her hands, wondering if she should have another go at training Rhys with a sword. Then she remembered when Rhys turns green and nearly threw up all over the steel sword he was using.

Soren spun around and cast elwind, destroying his target with ease. He allowed himself to take a few deep breaths, relaxing just a little. Mia looked over at the training field and snapped her fingers.

"That's it! Thanks Boyd!" And ran over to where the resting mage was, leaving a slightly confused Boyd. The weaver shrugged and headed to his room to clean up.

* * *

Soren looked over as he hear footsteps nearing him, and almost regretted it. What in the goddess' name did she want with him? Soren sighed and folded his arms across his chest, elwind held tightly in his grasp, as he waited for the trueblade to tell him what she wanted. Mia grinned at Soren and he raised a synical eyebrow at the girl.

"... You want something." He guessed. Mia nodded and pushed some hair out of her eyes, one hand on hips.

"Yeah! You get up real early- right?" Soren nodded, wondering how she knew that. As if guessing his unspoken question Mia quickly added, "I mean, you're always up earlier then the others, but I never see you around. What _do _you do?" She asked, her eyes gleaming with curiosity and... Was that hope? Soren shook his head slightly, clearing his thought. Those deep green eyes seemed to bore holes into Soren and he narrowed his eyes slightly, still cautious around the girl.

"... I have work to do, and no time for small talk." He said cooly. Mia looked a little dejected, but Soren ignored it and started walking away. He still had to deliver his report to Ike, and it would be a chance to get away from her... He stopped suddenly, startled as the trueblade seemed to magically appear infront of him.

"Ok, ok! I was wondering if you wanted to spar with me in the mornings- I mean, you don't use a sword like Ike but I've seen yah fight with your spells. And it'll be good for both of us- whatda yah think?" She said, talking rapidlly. Soren blinked, his red eyes meeting her bright green ones. He sighed and tapped the spine of his tome, looking up at the sky. Goddess help me, he thought before looking back at Mia, who was still looking at him with a big smile on her face. He sighed, giving up. Her logic was... Mostly sound. And besides, Ike would want him to.

"Tomorrow morning then, as soon as I can read the words in my tome." With that Soren walked past the trueblade and headed back into the fort, leaving a happy Mia who waved at his retreating figure.

"'k Soren! See yah then!" She called out. If he heard he didn't respond.

* * *

Soren knocked twice on Ike's door, softly, but with a solidness that made it clear it wasn't just a pleasure visit. Of course Soren never wasted time simply _talking_. Ike's voice drifted through the door, smooth and calm like usual. Soren felt a bit of tension leave him. So he isn't feeling terrible, the archsage thought.

"Come in Soren." Soren opened the door softly, letting his eyes adjust to the dimliy lit room. A candle burned bright on Ike's desk and on an endtable, giving him just enough lit to make out Ike's figure, lying on the bed. Ragnell was in a corner, gleaming even in the half-light. Soren nodded to Ike, his red eyes piercing through the gloom. "I guess this isn't just a pleasure visit." Ike said, eyeing the papers in Soren's hand. Soren cleared his throat.

"No... I'll put them on your table?" Ike waved a hand and shrugged. Soren put them on the table. He lingered around the desk for several moments, unsure if he should go or stay or what. Soren was, needless to say, not really a people person. Even with Ike he was always unsure of how to act.

"... Do you want to talk about something?" Ike asked carefully, wondering what was on his friend's mind. Soren was not the kind of person to be worried about things, he usually delt with his problems himself after all. He loathed to need help from anyone and drove to cut himself off from the group (something he was extremely good at). Still, Ike knew him well enough.

"... Mia." Soren said simply, making his way out. Ike raised an eyebrow as Soren continued, stopping at the door. "She's requested I train with her in the mornings." Ike shifted in his bed, trying to get more comfortable. A cold bowl of soup gleamed in the candle light.

"Did you say yes?" Ike asked. Soren hesitated, then decided to answer Ike truthfully. After all, what did he have to loose except everything and nothing? Soren nodded his reply, glancing back in the room. The window was shut tightly Soren noticed. Not a ray of light shone through.

"Yes."

"Ah. I suggest going to sleep earlier, and you might want to keep a heal staff at hand."

"Of course Ike."

* * *

Mia swung her sword at the target, the faintest beams of light showing over the tree-tops. She had been at it for several minutes, destroying the wooden block that served as her target. Slivers and chunks of wood lay around her feet, flying in all directions. Where was Soren? She thought. He wouldn't leave her there- right? Even someone like him had to have _some _morals, Mia assumed. But she wasn't so sure, it was dark, sure enough, but bright enough to read something (like a tome) by. Mia had checked that by reading a page of her book outside before putting it back, grabbing her steel sword, and heading outside.

She grit her teeth as a sliver of wood flew past her face, leaving a small cut. She shouted and criticled the wooden block, leaving nothing but splinters. She fell silent, panting slightly. She looked over the training field for a few moments before hearing footsteps behind her. She spun around, brandishing her sword, as she heard Soren mutter something but all that happened was the splinters were blown away. The wind made a circle, big enough for their duel.

"I hope you weren't waiting too long." The archsage said cooly. Mia didn't detect and malice in his voice, but he didn't have any care or warmth in his voice either. Mia spun her sword around once, to keep her hand loose and ready. Soren brandished his elwind tome. Good, Mia thought, this'll be an interesting duel. She glanced at a gleaming heal staff behind Soren, raising an eyebrow at the mage. He shrugged. "I wouldn't want you to get _too _hurt." He admitted.

Mia gave him a cold smile and charged, yelling. Soren shouted a spell and Mia found herself dodging a spell before Soren even got within her range. Gritting her teeth as the spell hit her, she felt herself loosing ground as she was pushed back. It ended quickly though, and Mia lunged forward, seeing Soren's eyes widden as he narrowly dodged the attack. Mia quickly followed up with a hit to the ribs, but with the flat of her blade instead of the sharpened end.

Soren went flying, hitting the ground with an almost comical thump. He scrambled to his feet, dodging the next attack. He was panting heavily- probably trying to regain enough breath to say another spell, Mia thought. But she was tired too, from the spell and her training before. She swung the blade around and yelled as she attacked, swinging her sword at Soren's middle. Soren jumped back and shouted- his elwind spell grazing Mia. Mia counted her lucky stars that his accuracy was a little off as she slid back a few feet.

They both regarded each other cooly. Mia had several cuts on her arms and legs, and a gash on her face from a flying splinter. Soren had an arm around his ribs which Mia correctly guessed were bruised. He also had a small trickle of blood running down his face from when he landed on the ground. Both were tired.

Mia was running almost purely on instinct and her endurence was coming into play- her skill and speed with a sword showing. Still, that's not to say Soren was completely hopeless. He used his tacitcal planning and knowledge of Mia's fighting style against her- he could guess where she would attack next. And, of course, Soren had a greater range.

Deciding it was time to end the duel Soren let loose another elwind, right at Mia. The trueblade tried to avoid it but was too slow- having seen it coming too late. It hit her full force and slammed her to the ground, where she lay there panting. She looked up at Soren carefully, the archsage standing over her. The sun had been steadily rising, and now Soren looked like a black splotch in an otherwise white world. Mia blinked a few times as Soren extended a hand towards her, sure she was seeing things.

Mia looked at Soren's outstretched hand and Soren couldn't help but wonder if something was wrong with the trueblade until she took his hand. Barely able to pull her up (was he _really _that weak?) Soren brushed off some dirt and dust from his robes. He was glad he hadn't worn his white ones- Mist would have raised Ashera on him if he got those filthy. Mia's hand was soft but hard at the same time- soft like a woman's, but hard like a trueblade's. Soren couldn't help but admire the girl's swordmastery.

Sure, Ike was better by all means, but she had some kind of grace an eleagance that even Ike lacked. Soren was cold, sometimes cruel, and critical of everything, but even he saw the grace and beauty in Mia's sword. He blinked and brought himself back to the preasent, where he realized he was still holding Mia's hand. He pulled his hand away suddenly and walked over to his heal staff. He muttered the right spell and healed Mia first, then let the staff heal him. He nodded to Mia and then put his elwind tome back inside his robes.

"... That was interesting. Again tomorrow?" He said, and, not waiting for a reply, turned on his heel and walked back to the fortress. Mia watched him go, his black robes slowly fading away until it blended with the fortress walls. She shrugged, putting her sword away.

"Sure thing Soren!" She called out, even though she knew he couldn't hear her. She tapped the hilt of her sword, wondering if Soren was always as strong and powerful as that. She closed her eyes, remembering the wind blowing his hair, the intense look in his bright red eyes- her eyes flared open and she shook her head, making her way to the fort. Thoughts like that would get in the way of her training! She broke into a run, wondering if Oscar had started making breakfast yet.

* * *

Mia was talking with Mist and Titania about something Soren probably couldn't guess in a few hundred years. Soren sighed, shaking his head slightly as he ate another small bite of egg. Not like the bacon and egg breakfast wasn't good- it was brilliant. Soren wasn't hungry at all, for some strange reason. Logically he should be at least a little peckish- his duel must have burned plenty of calories he would need to regain (his weight was low enough, thankyouverymuch), but he hadn't even wanted to eat the egg and single piece of bacon he had hesitantly taken from Oscar.

He probably should have brought a book- that helped him eat. Besides, it wouldn't make breakfast a huge waste of time if he could study a tome or two while chewing. Instead, against all of his usually logical thoughts, he ran out of his room, barely remembering to lock it shut (after the time Shinon rigged a bucket of mud to fall on top of him he wasn't taking _any _chances). It wasn't like him to he not get anything done either- but he didn't even write a full sentence. Instead his mind kept wandering, something that never happened to Soren.

And what it was thinking about was even stranger- after all, since when had he been interested in swordplay? But ever since Mia's impressive display that morning he couldn't help but think about it more and more. And Mia's blue hair and the way it flowed when his spell hit her. And her bright green eyes that gleamed with a determination hardly found. And- Soren's thoughts were broken by a different blue-haired swordmaster sitting next to him.

"Hey Soren. I see you had your morning duel. Did she break anything besides your ribs?" Soren shifted uncomfortably in his seat, gingerly fingering the bindings he had wrapped around his ribs. He had quickly realized they were broken but figured he wouldn't wake Rhys or Mist to get them healed- they would heal fine on their own. Soren shook his head.

"No Ike. She had several cuts and bruises, but I believe I was able to heal them all. Did you rest all of last night?" He asked, changing the topic carefully. If Ike noticed anything overly strange (Soren was always acting 'strangely' according to Ike) he didn't say so. The vanguard shrugged.

"Good enough. Rhys came a few minutes ago to check up on me- I thought he was going to set Titania on me because I didn't eat all of my soup." Ike grinned and took a bite of egg. He raised an eyebrow at Soren's food (or lack of) to which Soren sighed and shrugged himself.

"I'm not too hungry." He replied. Ike rolled his eyes and swallowed before replying, something that Soren guessed he picked up from Elincia. Ike picked up a piece of bacon with his fork but replied before eating it, waving it around as he spoke like it was a baton.

"Please Soren, how many times do I have to tell you to watch your weight? You need to eat more- it can't be healthy that you weight so little!" His voice had gotten a little louder, just loud enough to reach Mia's ears. Soren could tell because the trueblade practically jumped out of her seat and came over to see Ike (although some part of Soren hoped he wasn't too invisible). Mist looked over to where Mia was going and got up too, and was followed by Titania.

"Hiya Boss!" Mia said, grinning wildly. "Heya Soren, hope you're not _too _beat from our duel- I wanna take yah again tomorrow!" Soren nodded to Mia polietly, barely even glancing at Mist and Titania. Ike grinned at Mia and the others.

"Hey Mia, Mist, Titania. Yes I'm ok, no I don't think I'm getting any worse, and I'm sorry but Rhys still thinks I shouldn't fight until a few days incase it gets worse. Does that answer all of your questions? Oh, wait, I had a good night's sleep too." Mist smiled at her brother and nodded, but Titania still had her serious smile on her face. She crossed her arms, her red hair falling over her shoulder.

"Ike, be serious. I know you think its nothing but what if it isn't? I trust Rhys, but even the best heal staff can't heal sickness." Titania said, her way of reminding Ike that he was maybe the only thing that kept the company together. Goddess knows what would happen if Ike died from a cold. A sudden lack of feeling left Soren numb and he suddenlt stood up.

"I have things to do." He said simply, nodding to Ike and catching Mia's eyes. She raised an eyebrow at him, her piercing green eyes seeming to actually have worry in them. Soren spun around on his heel and walked out of the mess hall, not even looking back. If he had he would have seen too blue-haired swordmasters looking at his back as he walked away.

* * *

"HYAA!" Slash, plunge, dodge, counter, slash- "HAAA!" Mia sliced and stabbed the dummy, dodging the clumps of hay that her attacks released. No one else was training, and sweet poured down Mia's face, her clothes soaked. It was easily mid-day, and it was _hot _out. The others had taken shelter inside the fort, probably asleep or reading. Mia always trained before lunch though, and not even the harshest rain or the coldest snow fall had stopped her yet.

"HYAAA!" Mia spun around and cut the dummy's head off in one clean swipe, taking out the rope that held it up in the same blow. It fell to the ground, hay falling everywhere like a yellow rain. She stood there, holding her sword, panting heavily from the heat itself. Some part just wanted to go inside or head to the small lake and swim a little (she was one of the few mercenaries who could swim, the others being Shinon, Oscar, and Ike), but she instead looked around from the broom to brush the hay away so she could practice a few slashes.

She easily found the broom and put her sword down and started to brush the hay away as a sudden breeze in an otherwise still world came and blew it all away. She raised an eyebrow at a white robed figure who stood at the edge of the training arena. Soren slowly climbed the fence and climbed down the other end. It was hardly graceful- in fact it looked more like the world's saddest atempt at fence jumping, but Mia couldn't help but smile at the archsage.

Some memory tugged at the back of her head and she suddenly frowned and then grinned at Soren as she remembered it. The man had covered the area surprisingly quickly, and he raised an eyebrow at her sudden change of expression. His black hair and bright red eyes contrasted perfectly with his white robes Mia realized.

"Is something wrong?" He asked, looking at himself, raising his arms. Well, he's a little weak, but I'm sure he can learn, Mia thought. Mia shook her head, her blue hair gleaming in the sunlight. Soren shrugged and added, "Well I don't usually wear my archsage robes, but..." He trailed off, wondering why he had spoken so suddenly. Usually he was hesitant to speak, and he never, ever started a conversation.

"Uh-Huh. They look good on you." The words were out before Mia even realized she said them. Her face turned a nice red and Soren's face looked a few shades brighter then his eyes. He seemed out of words for a few moments before he finally replied.

"A-A-Ah thanks..." His face was soon under control again, a perfect blank slate. Mia wished she could say the same for her face- it still was bright red. "I was going to say... You, uh, should get out of the sun." Mia raised an eyebrow and went to return the broom back to its place against the fence. She picked up her sword and rubbed a bit of sand off of it. It smudged slightly and she frowned, making a note to polish her sword soon. She put it away and turned back towards Soren, who had been standing there silently.

"Thanks for the offer, but I need to train." She tried to make her face as blank as his, but, if she had been able to see her own face then, it looked more like someone trying not to smile after someone ran into a door. Soren's shoulders slumped but he was silent for a few moments before coming up with a good reply.

"It wasn't an offer. Ike would appreciate your efforts, but your health comes before anything else. In this heat your chances for heatstroke are roughly fifty percent more likely, and that's before you train." His voice was still plain, betraying no hint of emotion. Mia sighed, crossing her arms across her chest. They both stood there for a few moments, looking at each other, waiting for the other to break the silence.

Mia, silently sweating under the heat, trying to ignore the urge the wipe the sweat off her brow.

Soren, silently sweating under his robes, wondering if it would be all that terrible to leave now, cut his lossess, get out of the heat before he did faint. Absentmindedly he wondered if it would really that terrible if Mia fainted from heat. He looked at her bright green eyes, hard with determination, looked at the sweat that silently dripped off her, and then invisioned her dropping to the ground, no one knowing what was wrong. He sighed, sagging his shoulders.

"Mia. Come inside, rest." The trueblade raised an eyebrow, her crossed arms tightening. Soren could tell she's going to refuse, so he finally adds on last line that, for some reason, he doesn't and won't regret. "For me? P-P-Please?" He asked, his white robes fluttering in a natural breeze. Mia's blue hair flowed in the wind, her expression surprised and.. Was that confused? Puzzled? Soren couldn't tell, which surprised the archsage. He wouldn't say he was a people person- in fact, he usually loathed time spent 'socializing'. No, but he did know people, emotions.

Mia gave Soren a small smile, her eyes shinning, as usual, from exictment. Her arms dropped to her sides and she nodded eagerly.

"Sure thing Soren! I guess I wouldn't want to miss a day of sparing with yah anyway!" With that the trueblade started to run back to the fort, stopping when she noticed Soren was only walking behind her. She jogged back the few yards and grabbed his arm, tugging him forward suddenly, breaking into a run that Soren was forced to keep up with.

"M-Mia!" Soren managed to gasp as they ran. Mia grinned and laughed, and for some reason, seeing her smile at him was worth the entire trip out.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **Glad you all seem to be enjoying the last chapter, I'm surprised at how popular the pairing really is (seeing as there's so little fanfiction for it). I'm starting to enjoy Mia's personality more, although its slightly hard to make her seem excited, but not pushy or obsessive. Soren is, as always, a little in denial, but that's just his personality. A little OOC Soren, and I might have a few mistakes (I don't play cards that much- ok?). Hope you enjoy part two of 'Dueling at Dawn'

**To youdon'tknow: **Thanks for the idea, I'm hesitant about starting a story with that many characters though, simply because I can't manage that many easily. I'm glad you've reviewed, I really enjoy them. Keep watch though, I'm thinking about the idea.

* * *

Mia watched Soren out of the corner of her eyes as she slashed around with her sword. It was nearly sundown, but Soren's eyes dashed over the pages of his book faster then Mia swung her sword. Mia couldn't believe the archsage had talked her out of so much training- she had sat around playing card games with Boyd, Rolf, and Oscar for most of the afternoon! Goddess help her, she was going to loose her fighting powess at this rate!

Gritting her teeth the trueblade swipped and slashed at air. Sure, it wasn't the same as fighting a real opponent, or even attacking a dummy or wooden block of some sort. Still, it _was _better than nothing, and Mia knew none of the others would train with her- they were all resting and getting ready for tomorrow. All except for Soren, who seemed to be spending his time reading. Mia couldn't tell what, the words on the front weren't in anything she recognized...

Mentally chiding herself for thinking about Soren while training (she was certain it slowed her down) Mia spun around and slashed at air again. She suddenly let out a shout and criticled the air... She panted, taking a few seconds to relax. She heard the sound of someone shutting a book and spun around, looking at Soren. The sage had stood up, dusting off his robes. He held an elwind tome in his hand.

"I see you lack a training partner." He said simply. His bright red eyes seemed to glow in the half-light. Mia wondered if he always had his intense look on his face, or if it was just for her... She grinned at Soren, her own green eyes glittering from excitment.

"Do you wanna spar? I mean," Mia's grin grew a little although Soren stayed the same, "you don't get off for tomorrow morning but it'll be fun! Besides, you know we get more experience if we train together then alone." Soren's mouth twitched in a smile, but it quickly disappeared. Inside, Mia felt a little disappointment. Didn't he feel comfortable showing her his emotions? But, Mia reminded herself, he was always cold and secretive.

"Your logic is sound... Do you want the first move?" Soren's eyes gleamed now from a different light, something Mia couldn't understand. She shrugged, spinning her sword in her hand. On her face was a full-blown grin.

"Of course Soren! You might regret it though!" With that, Mia charged. Swinging her sword to try to knock Soren off his feet, she was surprised as the sage's sudden burst of speed, her sword only grazing his middle. Soren started to chant something but Mia ran forward and, forgoing her sword (not wishing to harm him _too _much) and punching him in the chest. Mia didn't feel her usual sense of accomplishment at hearing Soren's breath leave him, but she didn't feel pity either.

Good, the trueblade thought to herself, I'm not going soft.

* * *

Great Goddess, she's insane (great, the grace she can move with seems to be enchanting) Soren thought. He quickly avoided getting a painful bruise on his arm and found he had enough breath to try another spell. Mia's face was fierce and determinded (to what end? That's what Soren wanted to know) but it changed into someone experiencing pain once Soren unleashed elwind on her, the trueblade's arms and legs getting cut by the wind spell.

Soren's face was cool and impassive, as usual, although part of him felt a twinge of doubt- was his spell too tough? Should he end it now before one of them got seriously hurt? But no, Mia was back, and Soren found himself lying on the ground, his ribs aching where the steel blade had hit him.

Mia was standing over him, a small grin on her face. It wasn't bragging or flaunting her win, it was just a small smile of a victory. Soren sighed, taking a deep breath so his lungs could inflate again. Mia put her sword away, reaching down a hand to help the archsage stand up. Soren hesitated- did he really need her help? The answer: no. Soren took her hand and couldn't help but marvel at how soft and strong it was (and how he was noticing the small details about her, her chest rising and falling as she breathed, a few locks of hair falling over her face).

"You're not that bad y'know. You just need to concentrate more- like I always tell you." Soren looked at her grin (it seemed permantly on her face- did the girl ever frown?) and couldn't help but adopt a small smile on his own face. Soren hesitated over his reply but went ahead anyway.

"There's a reason you're part of the company." It wasn't directly saying it, but they both knew Soren had been saved many time by the blue-haired trueblade. Soren dusted off his robes almost automatically, for once the silence was getting to him. "Pardon me, but I have things to do." He turned around and walked to the fort, not looking back. He was imersed in his own thoughts as well- if he wasn't he might have heard Mia's wispered goodbye.

* * *

Soren was lying. He had nothing really important (per say) to do that required him to be locked in his room, only a small, flickering candle for light. No, but Soren was always on top of things, and inventory could only wait for so long until they were eating hard bread and rotting fruit. Soren sighed to himself, the candle's flame twinkling as his breath reached it. For some reason he was craving contact, human contact. He felt... Lonely. It was strange to be desiring spending any time with the others; while they weren't all bad they did contain a few less then kind people among their ranks.

Still, Soren stood up and carefully put the papers away, followed by his quill and the ink, carefully and neatly put aside so his desk was clean and neat again. He paused, looking at his meager room. He had very little personal items, perfering to use any gold he earned on new tomes for himself and the materials to construct his own. While he, if he desired, could buy better clothes or better quills or more ink then he needed he never did. Such things could not be eaten and were expensive, and Soren had certain ideals he never left behind.

One of those ideals was to not grow too close to anyone, which was already broken by Ike, even if it hadn't been on purpose. Soren sighed again, closing his eyes. Ike was a gem among both beorc and laguz. He tolerating both species and didn't seem to realize any of the evil that existed in this world (which could be like another blue-haired blade weilder, but Soren shook this thought out of his head). Soren sighed again as he opened his eyes. This time, the small candle was blown out, and Soren was left in complete darkness.

The archsage simply turned around, walked exactly two and a hald steps, and opened his door. His room was small, neat, and he had memorized the entire layout of the fort, his room, and Ike's room. It never hurt to be prepared, and it definitly never hurt to be a little (or a lot) over-prepared.

* * *

"Two kings! Beat that!" Mia said gleefully. Boyd groaned and dropped his cards on the table, throwing his hands up on the table. Rolf squinted at Mia, as if looking hard enough would betray her secrets. No such luck though, and Rolf cried out in desperation,

"That's the tenth time you've won! What are you doing?" He cried out, his big green eyes tearing up. Shinon rolled his eyes and threw his cards down too, glancing at Rolf. The four had been playing cards in the common, the room lit by candles and several torches. They could hear Mist and Oscar cleaning up in the kitchen, Gatrie was probably drinking, and Ike was asleep after 'lookin terrible'. Titania and Rhys were probably out in the forest (the palidian didn't like Rhys going out alone at night, worrying for his safety).

"Just drop it Rolf. Deal up some more cards Boyd." The marksman said, sounding a little bored. Soren hesitantly walked in, wincing as Shinon (who was facing the door) spotted him. "Ah. Look what the cat dragged in. I suppose you're looking for your dear Ike-y?" Soren's only obvious response was a tightening of his fists and a tigher mouth as he walked over to the table and looked over his seating choices.

The closest was next to Mia and Rolf. Not his first choice but, out of the motely group of seats that were available, an attractive option. Certaintly more attractive then sitting between Boyd and Shinon (the marksman was still glaring at him, the table, or the cards). Quickly passing on sitting between the two brothers, Soren sat down next to Mia and Rolf, glancing warrily at Boyd, as if the ax-man would attack.

" Could I... Ah... Join?" The table (which had been semi-loud at Rolf talking with Boyd) fell silent. Soren, for the first time in quiet a while, felt akward. Shinon smirked and muttered something under his breath, 'something' probably being both rude and not something Rolf should hear. Mia's eyes bore holes in him more then the other's though, and Soren dropped his gaze from her green orbs to the dull brown table. Mia, incidently, was the first to recover from the shock.

"Sure thing Soren! Boyd, deal Soren up some cards!" The trueblade said, snapping the others out of it. Shinon shot Soren (who was back to his impassive self, looking around at the others) a death glare; Soren returned it with an icy cold one.

"I hope the mage knows how to play cards, because I don't teach brats." Rolf was looking at his cards and no one was paying him any attention; if they had they might have noticed him smile slightly. Soren looked at his cards, a three and a two. Damn.

"Yes Shinon, I do know how to play cards. In fact, I am probably better then you." The last part was a total and utter lie. Ike had taught him and Mist a long time ago, back when Greil was alive, and Soren had played one game before deciding the entire thing was a waste of time. That didn't mean he didn't understand the basics though, and it was total and utter luck too.

The game in question started- Boyd went around the group and asked if they were in or out. If they were in, Soren was slightly surprised to see each of them throw two gold into a small pile in the middle. Soren realized it was a betting game; Ike _had _mentioned the 'real' version was played with money, but Soren hadn't really listened. He had thirty-three gold with him, and while he loathed to waste money, he supposed a game or two wouldn't kill him. Sighing when Boyd asked him, Soren nodded and fished out two gold, throwing it lightly into the middle.

Now Boyd took out three cards and put them in the middle, turning them over. A four... A six... A five! Soren had mastered his emotions well enough to not look surprised, or even pleased. In contrast, Rolf looked possibly bubbly, while Boyd was looking shifty-eyed at the other players. Shinon looked his usual bored self, glancing at his cards with mild interest. Mia was grinning wickedly but that didn't mean anything to the archsage; she always looked like that.

"Are yah in or out Rolf?" Boyd asked his brother, the young sniper rubbing his head almost comically. The green-haired boy took a few seconds to think it over but cheerfully replied,

"Sure! I'm in." Boyd nodded and threw in two more coins.

"Raisin'." Shinon, the next in line, muttered something and threw in three more coins. Mia shifted in her seat, looking at her cards with a slightly hesitant look. Soren found himself mildly surprised that he wanted her to fold; he had no wish to go against the trueblade in the game. On the other hand, he wanted to beat Shinon utterly and fully.

"I'm gonna fold, you boys can fight over your cards." With that, Mia threw down her hand, leaning back in her seat dangerously. Soren sighed and shook his head thinking over his hand. He had a straight, which, if his memory served him, was very good. He wasn't quiet sure how good, but he did know it beat pairs and three-of-a-kinds. So, sighing, he tossed in four coins that he fished out of his pocket.

Of course, the raven-haired male had only meant to put in three, but to avoid looking like an idiot in front of Shinon (and, some part of him said, Mia) he muttered 'Raise' under his breath. Rolf sighed and put his cards down, folding without a second thought. Boyd added two coins to make himself even, and Shinon put in one. Soren nodded to Boyd who flipped over one more card.

An ace. Soren could feel some added tension from Shinon, the marksman's green eyes cold and icy. Boyd wasn't showing anything outwardly, but his cards were bent and his fists were pale from clutching said cards so tightly. Still, the weaver turned to Soren and asked,

"In or out?" Soren showed a small smile for a few seconds, wondering if it was a smart thing to do. But it worked; Boyd dropped his gaze and looked at his cards. Shinon merely rolled his eyes, looking like he was going to say something rude soon, which he did.

"Come on boy, we don't have all day." Soren let his bright red eyes meet Shinon's green ones. They met each other's gaze, an age and a day worth of sheer loathing and unspeakable anger built up behind them. Shinon was pouring out every moment of hatred for anyone in his eyes; they burned with anger, but had a glint of- was that longing?

Soren's eyes reflected every time he realized he wouldn't be helped, that the people (laguz or beorc) were just going to leave him on the ground, in suffering, dying of hunger, too weak to even beg anyway. His eyes were pure loathing for everyone and anyone, except for one flash of pain in his eyes.

"Uh, guys? Could we put the male hatred away for a few seconds so we could finish our game?" Mia said hesitantly. Instantly the conection was broken, and Soren blinked at the same time Shinon's gaze moved to glare at his cards. Neither replied. Soren pulled out five coins and tossed them in the middle.

"I'll raise it." Shinon smirked and Boyd rubbed the back of his head. The green-haired man seemed to be taking a while, and Shinon snapped at him,

"Hurry up Boyd! Fold already!" The marksman's gaze was dangerously close to deadly, and Boyd gulped and threw down his cards. Shinon sighed and muttered, "Finally," before tossing in ten coins into the middle. He flashed Soren a cold smile. "I'll raise it a little more then." Soren shrugged absentmindedly, putting in the extra coins. Boyd looked at both the players and flipped over the last card. Another ace. Shinon's smirk grew. "Are you sure you want to continue Soren?" The older man asked, dropping in ten more coins. Soren returned the smirk. He had a straight- not much could beat that. He assumed Shinon either had a full house, or four of a kind.

"Of course, Shinon." He spat the name out like venom, dropping in fifteen more coins instead of ten. Shinon didn't even falter, dropping in the extra five, plus five extra. Soren dropped in the last of his coins, thirteen. Shinon smirked and dropped in the extra coins needed.

"Looks like someone's outta money." Shinon gloated. "So then, do you want the honor of showing your cards first?" His eyes gleamed with a look of someone who thought he was winning big. Soren gave Shinon a cold smile, all teeth and no real emotion.

"Of course Shinon." He flipped over his cards and Rolf gasped. A straight- two, three, four, five, six. Shinon, for his credit, didn't falter, turning over his cards quickly. A four of a kind, in aces. Soren couldn't help but widen his grin. "I guess you're out of money." Shinon swore loudly and left, pushing the entire table a few inches towards Soren when he got up. Everyone else was quiet and Soren stood, his usual manerism back.

"I will return in several minutes to get the money. If you take any, I will know." The other three believed him.

* * *

Mia was enjoying the peace that quiet brought you, silently reading a book in her dimly lit room. Candles were limited to one per room per week (roughly), so if you burned your candle too long or wanted more light you'd have to get one yourself. It stunk, but Mia needed money for her sword and general other things, not candles.

She turned the page and nestled down closer to her soft bed. This was what she had missed during the wars; the feeling of a comfortable bed that you knew would be there, and that you'd have at least some peace and quiet... Sure, Mist was a fine tentmate, but you just can't replace a nice book at the ending of a long, stressful, and surprising day.

Mia looked up from her book, sighing. Why had Soren come down to play cards? Of all the mercenaries Soren was the most anti-social, no-waste, person in the group. Even more surprising was that he won, and that he had sat next to Mia, no, Mia shook that out of her head. Soren had sat next to her because it was the closest seat and for no other reason whatsoever. He just didn't want to waste time (or energy) moving around the table to sit somewhere else. At least, that's what the trueblade told herself.

There was no way Soren, with his long black hair (it was probably as smooth as silk) and pale skin (that gleamed in the sunlight with a pale light) wanted to sit next to her. No, he had done so because of logical reasons only. Mia sighed, shaking her head and standing up. Why did she care so much? Soren wasn't terrible, in fact, he wasn't that bad (inteligent, skilled, and ). He usually wore his black robes that Mia thought looked quiet good at him; neat and clean but practical. He didn't _always _were black though, he sometimes wore white...

Wait- white? Mia's eyes (which had been closed as she yawned) snapped open, the green orbs piercing the dim light of the room. It was late, but since when had something like that stopped her from doing something? She put her book on her table and blew out her candle, running out the door quickly, her steel sword hitting her leg with its usual thomp. She ran down the short corridor and turned right to head towards Soren's room. She knew from seeing him walk into it that his room was right at the end of this hallway...

She turned another corner and promptly hit the person comming at the other side. She swore softly to herself, rubbing her head where she colided with the other. She closed her eyes, seeing stars for several seconds. Meanwhile, the pesron she had run into swore breifly (yet colorfully) to themselves. Hearing a man's voice she expected someone like Ike or maybe even Oscar, out to check on Rolf, when she remembered Oscar's room was right next to Rolf's. Ike was near Soren though- was it the commander she ran into? But no, opening her eyes they slowly adjusted to the extremely dim hall and showed a mess of black in front of her.

Soren's hair was, for the first time she had ever seen, messy. It sprawled over his head and down his face, covering his red eyes and pale face. His black robes were on now, not his white archsage robes (why didn't he ever wear them? White looked so... Dashing), which disappointed Mia at first but she decided to continue on anyway. She stood up and reached down a hand, grinning. Soren brushed his hair back first and scowled for a second at seeing Mia, causing her smile to loose a few teeth.

"Hey there Soren! Just the person I wanted to see!" Mia said loudly, not caring if someone woke up or not. Soren's scowl stayed put, even as he stood up and brushed off his robes. His red eyes glittered with the light from the dim torches, and with a dim annoyance.

"... What is your purpose for running through the halls to see _me_?" The archsage asked, his eyes meeting Mia's. She, for her credit, didn't waver. Instead, her smile managed to widen even more.

"I was reading in my room when I thought over something; you wear white archsage robes, don'tcha?" A flash of suspicion shone in Soren's eyes for a second, but it was gone quickly, leaving Mia to wonder if she had just thought it all up. The man nodded slowly.

"Yes... Now if that is all you wanted to ask me, I need to talk to you." Mia hesitated for once in her life, wanting to say something but keep her on Soren's good side. She bit her lip as Soren started to speak again. "I have come to realize our... Interaction is distracting me from my work. I do not need to tell you about the dangers of becomming too close to another; so I've decided to keep our... Relationship as professional as possible. I will see you in the morning in the training field, as soon as I can read without aid. Good night." Soren made a move to turn around and head back to his room when he found himself being jerked back at pinned to a wall.

* * *

Soren felt his eyes flash dangerously bright at Mia, but her usually warm green eyes were now icy cold. He felt a tinge of weakness; was his plan, for once, failing him? Mia kept up her gaze for several long, silent seconds. The only sound was of their breathing, perfectly similar and different at once, and the torches. The light flikered over the two, giving an errie feeling to the entire place.

"S-Soren... I..." Mia found herself at loss of words, her feelings all trying to escape at once. Soren couldn't help but admire her eyes, and he found himself unable to concentrate with them on him. "I... Ah I... I can't _not _see you Soren! I don't know why, but some part of me..." With that, the trueblade started to cry, burrying her face into Soren's robes, inhaling his smell. He smelt of old dusty pages of books, a fresh breeze, and of warmth, all at the same time. Soren breathed in her scent as well, a musky scent that was full of a want and a will to do well in everything... And someone that just needed something constant, something to hold onto and never let go...

Soren's eyes closed, his chin resting atop Mia's head as the trueblade cried, her words broken and hardly understandable.

"I... I'm sorry... I shouldn't... I shouldn't bother you Soren... I-I suppose we'll still see each other on the battle field, right?" She broke free from Soren's gentle grasp (he blinked, realizing he hadn't meant to be holding her in the first place) and turned away from him, heading into the gloom and darkness that led towards her room.

Soren watched her go, the sudden lack of warmth leaving an empty feeling inside him. It felt strange, it made him feel weak, the feeling of want. Of wanting to feel her warm embrace again, of wanting to feel her heart pounding against his. Soren blinked and made up his mind, running towards Mia's room as fast as he could bring himself. They needed to talk.

* * *

**A/N: **I know, a sorry looking chapter for so long a wait... Yeah, sorry 'bout that. Because of the sad length of this chapter I might just make it a five-shot. Or would it be a short story then? Bleh, hope you enjoyed anyway. So now... Soren's finally comming out of his cold little world! Yeah! And Mia is probably real OOC in the end, so sorry about that. I was thinking about having them kiss then, but it would have seemed to rush-y. Kudos to anyone who has figured out why the white archsage robes are immportant.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **Sorry for the mega-long wait, I was working on another story and this kinda got put back onto the side burner. This is going to be kinda short to see how many people are still reading and all, but I'll try to get the other chapters up sooner then this one, 'k? Anyway, glad that you all seemed to like the last chapter, and sorry about the poker scene. I have recently learned that no, a flush does not beat a four of a kind. So I supose Shinon should have won. But, well, this is Fire Emblem. And Soren PWNS. Any questions?

Thank you for all the input! It was so helpful to see so many different comments on only two chapters! I've put in a few changes and I'll explain why Mia was crying in the previous chapter. I'm still not sure how long this is going to be; this is not the last chapter though.

* * *

Soren ran after Mia, the dark hall seeming to grow longer then it was before, and darker. The already dim lights flickering with an almost synical feel to it all. Soren could hear Mia's footsteps as she retreated down the hall, heading towards her room. Soren's robes fluttered out behind him, and he looked like a ghost (admitedly a black ghost), or maybe a wraith, as he ran. Mia wasn't really trying, Soren could tell. Or else he could never have been able to catch up to her as he did, grabbing her arm as she ran, nearly tripping both of them.

As it was, he stumbled as if his legs struggled to keep up with his brain, half tripping, half stopping. Mia looked at him, tear still etched down her face. Soren found himself staring at her, just staring. Not quite sure what to say, and no sure what he _could _say even if he had any words left in him. The usually fast paced, quick witted archsage was at a loss for words. What did one say to a girl who ran away from you in tears? What could you say? So, trying to just break the akward silence, Soren put his hands akwardly on Mia's shoulders.

"Mia... I didn't mean that we couldn't see each other or anything... I, uh..." Yes, the archsage of the Greil Mercenaries was at a loss for words. Mentally swearing enough to match Shinon, Soren felt something inside him die inside when Mia looked down (since when had he cared? Since when had he felt anything?). "M-Mia? What's wrong?" Mia looked up now, giving Soren a small, faint smile.

"N-Nothing Soren... I guess I just c-couldn't deal with what you were saying." The smile was bigger now, but fake. Soren could tell easily that the trueblade was trying to make him feel better. Why? Why would anyone want to make him, a Branded (filthy, blasphamy of the goddess' order), feel better? Soren had frozen during the time it took to think that over, and Mia gave him a worried look, puzzling him even more. She was worried about him? No one was worried about him, ever... "Are you ok? Did I say something?" Mia asked, her voice tinged with worry. Soren shook his head, crossing his arms across his chest.

"Why were you crying?" He asked, deciding to wonder why someone would care about him (only Ike had ever done that, and Ike was unlike any other beorc Soren had ever met) another time in another place. Mia rubbed her eyes for a second, clearing them. She looked at Soren's red eyes and bit her lip before replying.

"Well... I guess to someone like you it would be a stupid reason... I really shouldn't waste your time, if you don't want to see me-" Mia turned away, about to leave and Soren found himself grabbing her shoulders with his hands and yanking her around again.

"Mia I really do want to see you! I-I don't know why I didn't want to before... I'm just not used to being... Being..." Soren found himself struggling for words and mentally swearing. What made Mia different from any other person? Why couldn't he just control his damn self? Mia's eyes were larger then usual, the orbs gleaming in the torch light.

"You're trying to say friends, aren't you?" Soren wasn't used to being at a loss for words, so he just shrugged, looking at the floor. Mia was a friend, right? Soren thought over what a friend was. Was it just someone you 'hung out' with? Was it something more? Soren couldn't quite say.

* * *

Mia hesitated, seeing Soren. She had gotten upset, too upset, when he said he didn't really want to see her anymore. But goddess! Was she supposed to stand there like she had done in times before, letting the other person walk away? Her friends had left when she took up a sword, leaving her alone. And then she went through the army; well she was talented but nobody really respected her. Nobody could see past the fact she was a women and she was always stuffed into the 'safe' areas, her sword growing dull and her mind wondering if she should just leave.

Then the Greil Mercenaries, Ike. Ike treated her like a real person, sparring with her daily. Rhys had been a small mistake; of course the frail priest couldn't use a sword! But Mia was able to stay friends with him, so she supposed that seperation, the end of that little joint, wasn't so bad. Not like the others.

Mia hesitated before moving, her hand slipping under Soren's chin (she was taller then him, she realized) and gently forcing him to look up at her, his bright red eyes no longer startling her. At first they had; she had never seen a color so fibrant, and Soren's personality at first left something to desire. But if you took the time to look at them, look deeply, you could see a real person behind the cold wall Soren put up.

"Soren, we're friends; right? I consider you one, if that means anything to you." Soren opened his mouth but didn't say anything, closing it promptly after. The archsage's arms fell to his sides, dangling there like he wasn't quite sure how to continue. Mia gave him a small smile. "I just wanted to let you know that I'm always going to be there and all... And I was wondering if, maybe, you could always be there to help me?" Mia wondered if she sounded too much like a small child talking to their parents; would Soren even take her seriously? Soren blinked slowly, his red eyes regarding her carefully.

"I can understand what you're saying but... Why me? I'm not what you're looking for Mia, I can't be a constant for you." So, turning back to his room, Soren started to walk away. Mia stood still, stunned. Soren, at the turn in the hall paused. "Although I will see you tomorrow morning at dawn...And Mia?" Soren didn't turn around as he spoke, but he was slightly hunched over.

"Yeah?" Mia replied, wondering what the archsage was thinking. He could be a constant for her! Mia knew that, he knew that. So why wasn't he offering her some support? Wasn't he the one who thought team-work would help on the battlefield?

"I... I wanted to thank you. You've let me have some... Interesting insights in the past day. Good night." With that, Soren walked away, his footsteps fading into the dim torch light, leaving Mia standing outside of her door. Mia swallowed; what insights could she have given Soren? Then, opening her door softly, she murmured,

"Good night Soren. Sleep well." And walked inside.

* * *

Soren fingered his tome lightly, the cool morning barely warmed by his white archsage robes. He had decided that, in the heat of the month, his old black robes weren't nearly as pratical. And, in the colder mornings, his archsage robes were slightly heavier so he wasn't as cold. Although, Soren admitted to himself, it was still colder then he wished it was. His back was to the fort so he jumped in surprise when he heard Mia's voice come out of what felt like nowhere.

"Hya Soren! Glad to see you decided to come!" Soren turned to face Mia, his heart pounding several times faster from the shock (only the shock Soren, nothing more). His face was still smooth and calm, but he raised an eyebrow at her different sword. "Yeah, I decided I use a steel sword all the time so I should learn how to use a different one too! Its a steel blade; harder to make and more dangerous but a lot harder to use! Are yah ready?" Mia was grinning and enthusiastic, as usual. Like nothing had happened. Soren wondered how she could keep it up so easily.

"Good. I brought a new tome too, instead of elwind... I believe you have seen an elfire tome before?" Mia thought for a few moments before remembering seeing Tormod running around after he had set fire to a few tents. The trueblade nodded, eager to start training against a new kind of weapon. "Well elfire is more dangerous the elwind in certain ways. I just want to make sure you realize that you can get burnt by elfire; badly burnt." Soren told Mia. It wasn't like he didn't want her to feel the full force of his tome, he just knew the Mercenaries couldn't afford to have both of their sword-users out at the same time.

"Yeah, yeah. Come on Soren, let's fight!" Mia easily jumped over the fence that surrounded the training area, brandishing her sword. Soren walked to the other end where he had set a mend staff, just in case. "Are you ready?" Mia called out, her voice easily carrying across the area. Soren nodded and Mia charged, her sword in front of her, ready to strike. Soren chanted and twirled around; elfire blasted out of nowhere and singed Mia. The quick and nimble trueblade had been expecting it. She started by a slash to the ribs which Soren quickly dodged.

He had expected that too... They were getting to know each other's styles well, Soren noted. Soren wasn't fast enough to start another spell and this time Mia's blade hit him; a solid blow to his right leg with the flat of her blade. Soren stumbled backwards, only avoiding the follow-up blow by sheer luck. Soren spun around and hit Mia with elfire in return, the heat blasting away any morning mist that lingered. The fire ended quickly though, but Mia came out with several burns.

"Do you still want to continue?" Soren asked. Mia's response was to try to hit him in the arm with the flat of her blade, causing him to drop his tome. Taking that for a 'yes', Soren backed up and attempted another elfire. Mia dodged out of the way, although both her clothes and the ground seemed to have smoke comming off it. Mia lunged forward, the tip of her blade slicing into Soren's middle. Gasping in pain, Soren backed up even further (he was close to the fence now, not much more room behind him) and fingered the wound for a second.

Not big enough to worry about, good. He lept to the side as Mia's sword occupied the spot he just was, the blade nicking the hem of his robes. Shouting his spell as quickly as he dared, Soren was just able to hit Mia as she retreated a few feet. The trueblade's hair was a mess, as was her clothes. She had several burn marks on her arms, and her clothes were darker in some places. Soren couldn't see himself looking much better. He was gasping for air now, the quick movement and spell-casting wearing him out quicker then usual.

Damn; he needed to practice with fire tomes more often. Taking in a deep breath, Soren ended their short rest period with a quick elfire. Mia rolled forward, avoiding the blow but Soren was able to back up in the time it took her to get back up and get her sword into a ready position. Soren had to take several more deep breaths but the second one was stopped when Mia launched a sudden attack at him, nearly skewering him on her sword. As it was, his side went from perfectly fine to having a huge gash in it within seconds.

Instantly the friendly trial mood was broken, Mia's eyes growing wide. Soren fell to the ground in pain, stars running around his eyes. Damn... He wasn't used to being hit like that before, but the logical part of his brain said it was good for him to experience some pain some time or another. The other part of his brain was too busy dealing with the pain. Mia was saying something, but all Soren could see was the growing red spot on the ground and on his side; it was like he was just shutting down.

* * *

Mia was panicing, her steel blade dropp on the ground. Ike never acted like this on the rare occasion Mia landed a solid blow on him, but Soren wasn't as tough as Ike. She should have seen that, but now the archsage was bleeding to death right in front of her. Rhys? No, he was too far away and still asleep. Mist? No, she was also asleep and it was doubtful she could even heal something this large if she was still tired. Wait, the mend staff leaning against the fence! Mia ran over to it quickly, picking it up carefully.

She didn't know how to use one, she used swords. But Soren did, maybe he could heal himself! Mia ran back (seemingly) even faster. The blood flow was slowing down, though Mia wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing. Maybe it was clotting, or maybe Soren was just running out of blood to loose. Either way, Mia knew they couldn't have much time left. Shoving the staff into Soren's hands, Mia said,

"Come on Soren! Use it!" Soren's red eyes were fainter then usual, or was it just her? Soren's usualy pale skin was now chalky white, and fading as she looked at him. He looked so small, so frail. Was he always so tiny? Soren's eyes met her's and she begged him to use the staff. "Please Soren! Come on! You can't die; Ike'll never forgive me!" And I'll never forgive myself. It was a silent oath that Mia made, this was all her fault anyway. Why in the world did she act like Soren was Ike? Nobody was like Ike, and Soren wasn't nearly as fast or strong.

"M-Mia..." Soren was gasping for air. Mia put a hand over Soren's mouth.

"No, don't talk. Use the staff! Come on! Soren!" Mia shook the archsage softly as he raised his hand and muttered something under his breath. The staff glowed blue and Mia could see the wound in his side heal. The blood stayed though, and Soren passed out quickly after. Sighing now that the moment of panic was over, Mia felt her heart slow down again. It being obvious Soren couldn't just stay there, Mia put her sword back on her belt and tucked Soren's elfire tome into her belt as well. Wincing from her burns, she grunted as she picked Soren up. He wasn't very heavy, sure, but it was more akward then she thought to hold him in her arms.

Still, akward or not, they both probably needed to see a healer. So Mia started the long way to the fort (and Rhys' room, asleep or not), half stumbling, half walking.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: **Sorry for the pathetic thing I called a chapter. I guess I just wanted to see how many people were still interested, even after a long period of no activity. Well, glad to say I have nothing else on my plate at the moment and most (I have to reserve some for homework) of my energy will be focused on finishing this story. Quickly, hopefully, and well. The overall mood was acceptance of the ending of the last chapter, but I'm (also) glad to say this chapter is more positive and thoughtful and all. More Soren-ish, to be clear.

youdon'tknow: Thanks so much for the amazing review! It took me five minutes to read, but it was really helpful. I enjoy getting such good feedback and I'm glad you enjoy the story so much you're inclined to write such long reviews. The whole Mia/Soren/Ike drama that's going on around right now is going to be affected by the spar (I mean, she did just slice Soren open and Soren is Ike's friend) and I'm glad you caught onto that. I could go on for a while in reply to your review, but, out of consideration for the other readers who probably don't really care, I won't. Get yourself a fanfiction profile! XD

* * *

"He'll- yawn- be alright. Its amazing you were able to bring him here so- yawn- quickly." Rhys (tired, red-eyed, and only half-awake) told Mia. Soren was still passed out and currently took up a small cot on Rhys' floor, despite the healer's protests. Mia had already woken the poor man up right after the sun rose, she didn't need to kick him out of his bed too. "He lost a lot of blood, but- yawn- that'll be recovered in his next few meals. Until then I'd say he should rest and stay inside, no heavy work either. No excuses. Are you sure you'll be fine if I go make some tea?" Rhys asked the trueblade, who nodded.

"Yeah Rhys, sorry I woke you up so early. You should go relax, you can sleep in my room if you want." For once, the usually excited and overwhelmingly cheerful woman was speaking softly, her eyes concentrated on Soren. Rhys was about to say something more but hesitated, sensing something in Mia. She wanted to be left alone, the priest realized. So he nodded his head and quickly made his way out of his room, the door closing softly behind him. "Soren... You'll be alright." Mia wasn't sure why she was echoing Rhys' words. Maybe to comfort herself, remind herself that Soren would be fine. Maybe it was some stupid part of her that believe that Soren could hear her. Either way it made her feel better, even if it was just a little bit.

Still, it was going to be awkward to explain to the others. Sure, they'd pretend like nothing would be the matter and for some of them it probably wouldn't be. Admittedly none of the other mercenaries were huge friends of Soren. Mia wasn't even sure if Soren talked to the other mercenaries (unless ordered to of course). Except Ike. Oh goddess, Ike...

Mia gulped. She was, needless to say, not looking forward to that conversation.

* * *

"What!" Ike's voice would have been scarier if it hadn't been followed up by a hacking cough and Mist glaring at him and muttering something about herbal tea. At least Ike wouldn't be able to kill her in his current condition, although Mia had a sinking feeling that she would need to look for another employer soon. Ike was still suffering from a cold, though it was not enough to keep the news from him (in case it worsened his health). Mia paled, though she was already whitened from not having eaten anything in twelve hours.

"You're saying you nearly cut Soren in half! How? What in the goddess' name was going on that you couldn't notice him tiring out? You're a skilled fighter Mia, you really are. But what happened?" Ike's voice was, at this point, either loud and close to shouting, or panic-filled. Mia wasn't sure which was worse. Honestly, Mia wasn't sure herself how the whole incident had happened. Just one moment it was like she was fighting Ike, a strong opponent who could deliver blow after blow and take a few, and the next Soren was lying on the ground bleeding. Mia bowed her head as if studying the floor, trying to make a reply that didn't sound too much like begging.

"I-Ike... I mean, sir... I have no excuse for what happened and... I take full responsibility to whatever happens to Soren. I know that it can't change anything but I'm sorry. I really am. I... I'm not quite sure what happened to me." Mia didn't look up while she spoke and was reminded of the time she was being yelled at for swinging around a sword for fun. She hadn't understood why her parents were so mad then, but now she understood why she was being yelled at. And, in her own mind, she deserved it. Ike probably would have delivered his ultimatum right there and then, but for the door suddenly opening and a familiar figure limping in.

"No, Soren, you have to rest! You lost most of your blood!" Mist jumped to her feet in an instant, but Mia beat her to the task of keeping Soren upright as the archsage staggered in. Rhys' voice echoed down the hall well, but from the way Soren was panting he'd either outrun Rhys or was just completely worn out. Knowing him, Mia couldn't be certain it was either one of those.

"Soren!" Ike was struggling to stand now too, putting the hot tea onto his bedside table and getting up. He practically shoved Mist and Mia out of the way, holding Soren at arm's length as if to inspect him. "Are you alright? Mia says you'll be ok, but, by the goddess! You are never going to do that to me again!" Mia decided that, seeing as the two knew each other since they were kids, it was ok for Ike to act like he was the only one freaking out.

Sure, Mia was pretty sure Mist was only worried because of Ike. And Rhys was a healer, so it was natural for him to be worried. But the other mercenaries had been informed and Mia would have sworn Shinon said 'good, now he'll shut up' under his breath. Still, barely able to look him in the eyes, he seemed alright. Paler then usual, and he was covered in sweat, but he looked like he would live. Mia couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief. She stepped hesitantly forward, unsure if Ike was still going to snap at her.

"A-Are you alright? I mean- are you sure its safe for you to be walking around?" As if to answer her question, the door opened again, revealing a panting Rhys who, to Mia's shock, looked like he was going to pass out. "Rhys? What are you doing here- oh, wait." Soren glanced over at the poor healer while Ike let his arms drop from Soren's shoulders.

"Soren! I was looking everywhere for you! You lost so much blood- its not safe for you to be walking around!" It was the first time Mia had ever heard Rhys close to shouting, except when he met Kieran. Then again, that knight could freak anyone out with his loud antics and almost scary work ethic. Soren sighed as he walked towards Rhys. He nodded at the healer.

"Yes, I understand... I just had to tell Ike I was alright." It was an honest reply, Mia could tell. She was slightly surprised at the look on Soren's face. More of a calm acceptance that Rhys was only looking out for his well-being. The Soren before the Mad King's War would have hesitated, waiting for Ike's ok before doing anything. Even then, the Soren from before would have mentally resisted and tried to continue his duties. Now it looked like Soren was, if possible, listening to Rhys with more then a cynical ear. "Will I be able to continue doing my various duties? I hesitate to let anyone else take inventory." Rhys nodded as he stepped outside the room.

"As long as you don't exert yourself, so you can't train." He didn't, of course, look at Mia, but the trueblade felt a stab of guilt anyway. Mia glanced at Ike, and he wasn't looking at her direction at all. He just stared past her, looking at Soren.

"I'm so sorry Soren!" Mia suddenly blurted out. All eyes were now on her; Mia never felt so small. Soren's red eyes didn't betray any of his emotions- they never did. Summoning up some courage, Mia went on. "It was my fault. I'm so used to training against other sword-wielders. I should have remembered you can't fight as well with an elfire tome too... So, if possible, I hope you can somehow forgive me." Not waiting for an answer, Mia ran out of the room.

* * *

"Here, its some soup Oscar thought you'd like." Rhys was tolerable, Soren decided. He tried his best to be nice without being pushy, and he really did seem to care about Soren's well being. Or, the more cynical part of Soren said, his job as a healer for the Greil Mercenaries. As far as Soren could tell, Ike was always wondering about him, how he was doing, was he comfortable, did he need anything, and so on. It was touching, and but for the one thing nagging in the back of his mind, he would have felt alright with his injury.

"Thank you." Rhys nodded as he put the tray on Soren's lap, the window (Soren enjoyed the view as it looked over the forest and the training grounds; he looked outside constantly) outlining his figure and making him look like he had a bright aura around him. Soren barely repressed a snort- he wasn't religious and the last war had (in his mind) only proven what he already thought; the goddess wasn't anything special and thus did not deserve his worshiping or devotion. Rhys stood up straight again and the brief moment was gone.

"Do you want anything else? You, uh, have enough books or tea?" Yes, Ike was always wondering about him, that was the only reason Soren could think of that Rhys would ask him if he 'had enough books or tea'. Looking up from his tome, Soren nodded briefly at the healer and went back to reading. "I'll be back around lunch with some food- if you need anything I'm sure you'll be able to find someone to help you. Um, I mean, if you need help... Ah, pardon me..." Rhys left the room, obviously flustered. Soren sighed, trying to read but not being able to.

Why? Well, there was a certain problem (more like a puzzle) running through Soren's mind like a horse with bells on; making just as much noise and taking up all of his thoughts when he thought about it. Which was, needless to say, most of the time.

What was the problem (puzzle, Soren's mind insisted on calling it)? Mia. Or, more specifically, why she hadn't appeared in the last two days. Soren was alright, goddessdamnit, why didn't she come to see him? Soren didn't blame her for what happened- in all honesty it was his own fault. He needed to train with fire tomes, sure, but against a real opponent? Mia already had a sword and could withstand quite a few spells, he didn't need to slow himself down- he was already slower then her for crying out loud!

Still, Soren supposed it wasn't just the lack of Mia that was getting to him. He missed her, he really missed talking to her. He missed having someone understand his dry humor, someone always wondering if he would be ready for a duel. It was strange, abnormal! He was a Branded for crying out loud! Mia had probably heard everything about the Branded, how they were supposed to bring bad luck and how they had to be shunned- Soren hated it. And he knew that, if she knew, that she would hate him too.

The feeling Soren felt... Was it friendship? He was the same with Ike, but Ike was different. He wasn't really a beorc, he was more then that. He was the best thing in the world, the closest anyone or anything could get to perfection. So why did Soren consider Mia the same? You couldn't compare the two! Ike was the only one who had ever cared for Soren without reason, the only person to give him hope that not everything in the world was evil (but most of it was evil, and then there are the shades of gray to consider...).

No, Soren couldn't (wouldn't) compare Mia to Ike. He refused to (denial is a strong force) believe that Mia could even come close to what Ike had done for him (but maybe she already had helped him, healed him). No, Soren wouldn't compare Mia to Ike. He wouldn't because, maybe, some part of him was scared about what he might find.

* * *

"HYAA! HA! HYA! TAKE THAT! AND THAT! HYAAAA!" One last swing took off the top of the wooden block, the chips flying everywhere, scattering in the soft breeze (it reminded her of him, but she refused to think about him while training). Mia let her sword drop, the point resting in the dirt, straightening her figure. She panted, drops of sweat rolling off her nose and onto the ground. Mia wiped her face and got back into her fighting form, ready to take another shot at the wooden block.

It wasn't very interesting to fight something that couldn't dodge, or even fight back, but it was something. Most of the mercenaries had holed up inside, due to the intense heat that came with summer mid-days. Mia only saw it as a chance to get away from everyone else, to train some more, to fight.

"HYA!" Whack! Her sword cut deep into the wood, its steel blade gleaming in the sunlight. "HA!" A twirl and her sword landed into the wood even deeper, forcing her to take a few seconds to pull the blade out. "HYAAAA!" She spun her sword around and launched herself at the wood, the edge cutting into the wood again and again.

It wasn't the same, part of Mia's mind said. She missed the rush that she got when her opponent dodged, the feeling of accomplishment when she avoided an attack or struck with her sword. She enjoyed the friendly competitions between her and another person (Ike sprung to mind first, but changed until he was a red-eyed, black-haired archsage) and the feeling that she belonged when she fought. She missed it all- but mostly she missed talking with her sparring partner afterward, talking about how well that other did, or how they got _so close_ to winning. She missed the rush when she dodged a spell, when his eyes widened slightly when he had to dodge, the sharp tongue and steely gaze...

"HYAAAA!" She spun around once more before cutting the wooden block clean in two, the remains scattered on the training field's ground. She stood there, her sword point down, looking at the ground. The wood chips, slowly being blown away by a soft breeze. She was wearing her swordmaster outfit, for some strange reason. Maybe it was the giant blood stain on her trueblade uniform (which had yet to be cleaned) that had her change her mind. Maybe she just wanted to wear something different. Now, Mia wasn't sure about anything.

"Can I talk to you?" A soft voice, carried on the breeze, hit Mia's ears as the trueblade spun around. But no, although his voice was similar to Soren's it was clearly not the archsage. "Sorry for interrupting you- I just have a few things you might want to hear." Rhys stepped forward, a heal staff in hand. "But first we should get under some shade- can I heal you? You've been outside for a long time and could probably use some refreshing." Mia didn't say anything, just nodded and closed her eyes as the warm feeling of being healed swept over her.

"Thanks..." Mia muttered as Rhys smiled and nodded.

"My pleasure. How about by the creek? The water can cool us down if we get too hot." Rhys waited for Mia to nod, then started to walk towards the forest. Mia followed him until the priest motioned for her to walk next to him.

"What did you want to talk about?" Mia asked, curious. They were still friends, even after the whole 'you are my rival' problem, but they hadn't had a one-on-one conversation in a long time. Rhys waited until they were under the trees before talking, and he spoke slowly, choosing his words carefully.

"Well... First, what are you going to do now? Now that there's no one else to spar with you in the mornings." Rhys' question was obviously one to get her comfortable at first, still, Mia knew the man would only look out for her and the other mercenaries so she decided to go along with it. She shrugged.

"I'm not sure. I suppose I can wait until Ike's better, and I can just train by myself. Speaking of which, when are you going to give Ike the okay?" Rhys sighed and looked at the ground for several yards. The forest sounds filled the gap that their silence made, bird calls and the growing sound of rushing water filling Mia's hearing.

"Well, that's good then. I suppose you'll want to stay ready for anything." Mia noted that he didn't answer her question, but she didn't pry. Maybe Ike was getting worse but the poor man didn't have the heart to tell anyone- but that wasn't like Rhys. No, he probably had a good reason to not tell her... Still, it wasn't like Rhys to keep secrets. "Hm... Um, I want to ask what you think of Soren." Mia looked at Rhys, the priest not meeting her gaze as he looked at the forest.

"Wh-What do you mean?" Did she sound flustered? Hopefully not, but Mia could feel a growing red on her face. Even though Rhys wasn't looking at her, Mia was mortified that she would be blushing at just hearing Soren's name. Then, to pull her mind off of it, she thought of how to answer the question.

Soren was a friend, right? The stubborn archsage might not think so, but Mia considered him a friend. A good friend? Maybe. Sure, he was a spirit charmer (or so Shinon said, but Mia had looked it up and it all made sense...) which was kind of scary to Mia, but he was still a normal person. And he was tough, though not physically. Mentally he was, maybe, the strongest out of all the mercenaries! Mia couldn't help but respect someone like that. And it _was _his plans that kept so many people alive during the two wars...

"Do you think of him as a friend? And ally? Or..." Rhys trailed off, his own face with a tint of red now. Mia shook her head showing a fake grin to try to relax the priest. Poor guy, Mia thought, this is probably embarrassing for him... The river was close now, the rushing water taking over the forest noise as the chirping of birds slowly faded.

"He's a good friend." Mia shrugged, Rhys studying her almost intensely. What was he looking for? Mia wondered. She didn't stop though, just kept on talking. "He's not as cold to you once you get to know him, and he's super smart so you never find yourself talking with an idiot. Why?" Rhys opened his mouth as if to answer, but didn't.

They reached the stream and Rhys sat down on some smooth rocks, dipping one hand into the water and watching as the water parted around his hand. He didn't reply right away, to give Mia time to sit down on another rock. The water gushed over the rocky bed, the bottom clear (the stream being so shallow) enough for Mia to see the rocks gleaming from sunlight.

"I... Well, he seems to be missing you." Rhys' words hit Mia like a brick, like she had just been splashed with the cool water right in front of her. "I know, I know, Soren doesn't miss anybody. But he's always staring out at the training field when I go to check up on him, then he pulls up his tome like he was just taking a break... Only, I'll get something and come back quickly and he'll be staring out again. I know it doesn't mean everything, he could just want to go outside, but... I decided I might as well tell you." Rhys stood up, drying his hand on his robes. The sunlight broke over the treeline, outlining Rhys. It shone off his white robes and forced Mia to squint and raise a hand to ward off some of the light.

"Thank you Rhys... You can go ahead of me." Rhys hesitated, but nodded and headed back into the forest. Before he stepped into the trees he stopped and looked back at Mia.

"I don't know if you know this already, but he's not a spirit charmer. I would be able to tell if he was. I just thought you deserved to know that too." And then Rhys stepped into the trees, somehow disappearing. Mia was left dumbfounded- if Soren wasn't a spirit charmer, what was he?

* * *

Soren was well enough to eat with the others, or so he insisted to a flustered Rhys. Still, he had won that little batter easily and found himself walking (admittedly slowly and slightly painfully) down the hall towards the mess hall. The amount of noise made it clear dinner had started, and from the occasional rise in the form of a roar, tonight's meal was meat. Probably ribs. Oh well, Soren thought, at least none of the laguz were over. That would be chaos- they ate nearly twice the amount of Ike or Boyd, and they created as much of a mess as they could (at least, that's how it seemed to Soren).

Entering the mess hall, Soren quickly made his way to Ike's table. It appeared that Boyd and Ike were in an eating competition, and from the stack of ribs in front of them they were going to eat the mercenaries out of house and weapons. I'll have to take another supply check afterward, Soren told himself as he dodged past a drunk Gatrie and sneering Shinon. Poor Oscar was looking a little panicked- who knew how many ribs the two young men (Ike and Boyd) could go through. Titania was shaking her head but grinning, while Mist was cheering both of them on.

Soren glanced towards Rhys (holding his head and looking a little green) who was sitting down being comforted by a worried Rolf. The priest was probably worried that Ike and Boyd would get sick from over-eating; goddess knew it had happened before. And with Ike already being sick... Ah well, I might as well get something to eat before we're out of food, Soren told himself.

Sitting next to Ike, Soren grabbed a few ribs from Ike's dwindling pile and started to eat as neatly as possible, which, for ribs, was quite neatly. Though it didn't look like anyone noticed him coming and sitting down (Boyd's rate of consumption didn't slow), Ike glanced over at his long-time friend and nodded. It was a nice act, Soren thought, but Ike was still eating ribs faster than most people thought possible. Soren wondered if Ike had eaten lunch, or if he was planning on going into hibernation. Even Ike didn't usually eat so much... Yes, Soren decided, the two would certainty be visiting Rhys for some digestive help sometime tonight.

Soren finished quickly; the loud noise the other mercenaries made did not appeal to him, nor was he in the mood to humor Ike (let alone anyone else). Besides, he had more productive things to do then to watch two people eat more food then they really needed. On his way out he muttered to Oscar,

"Don't let them have anymore, alright? We do have a budget." Not waiting for a reply, and trusting that Oscar would be responsible (he usually was), Soren left the loud hall and paused outside of the doors. He still marveled about the amount of noise that only a few people could make. The meal was good, though Soren wasn't picky at all. The only thing that left a bad taste in his mouth was that a certain trueblade wasn't eating; she wasn't even there.

* * *

Mia wasn't hungry, not even close. If anything, she felt sick, like she was going to throw up. She would have looked for Rhys, but that would have meant leaving her room and (most likely) run into Soren. That was one thing Mia wasn't sure she could deal with just right now. Soren. What had Rhys meant by saying that Soren wasn't a spirit charmer? Mia had been looking all over the books in the small library (considering they were all Soren's she knew she was taking a huge risk, but it was worth it) for something, anything that could give her a lead. But, some small part of her didn't want to find the answer.

She had a strange little nagging at the back of her mind, like she knew the answer if she thought hard enough, she just wasn't thinking hard enough. Mia yawned- she must have fallen asleep trying to read the small print. Squinting in what felt like darkness, Mia realized the candle she had lit must have gone out- a stray breeze or a passing person? The moon shone through the open window and Mia shivered, but she felt a thick (although rough) blanket on her and realized someone must have seen her in the library. Another shiver, only this time it was emotional, because only one person really went into the library (ok, calling it a library was a stretch as it was really an extra room with plenty of books inside) and that person was Soren.

Standing up slowly and stretching, Mia took the blanket in her hand and rubbed a finger over the rough cloth. She hadn't seen it when she went inside the room, so she decided it must have been Soren's. Well, his room _is _close, the trueblade thought. But since when did Soren help anyone out? Mia still couldn't see Soren as a help-every-poor-soul-that-needs-enlightening kind of person; heck she hadn't ever seen him really smile, or laugh. Soren just didn't do those kinds of things... Well, that's what Mia thought at least.

Mia closed the book she had been struggling to read and swung the blanket over her shoulder. If she was so close to Soren's room she might as well return his blanket, right? So, thinking that, she headed out of the small library and into the hallway, her way lit by flickering lights.

Soren must have left them on, her mind suddenly thought. Then her sane, rational, mind laughed. The halls are always lit until they go out naturally, just because this hallway is lit and I had a blanket over me doesn't mean anything! So that was the end to that idea, even if part of her wanted it to be true. Soren was Soren, nothing except a good friend who also happened to be in her mind a lot. And happened to impress her with his skill and talents (not to mention tactical prowess).

She knocked on his door lightly, supposing that she would be better off returning it in the morning instead of waking him, in the off-chance he was already asleep. But no such chance, the door opened several moments later by a few inches, showing a glaring red eye. Said eye widened from shock, or maybe surprise.

"Yes?" Soren opened the door enough so Mia could see his face, candle light dancing off it and casting shadows behind him. Mia took a breath and handed him the blanket. Soren raised an eyebrow at him before quickly folding it (neatly, no surprise there) and putting it over his arm. "Anything else?" Soren was acting strangely cold but, then again, it wasn't that strange. Mia had put a huge hole in him for crying out loud! He had every right, and more, to hate her! To loath her for even thinking about training with in in such a violent manner! He had every right to just ignore her, or call her an animal, or something!

"Why did you help me?" Mia blurted out, the words out of her mouth before she could pull them back in. Soren raised his eyebrow again, hesitated, then opened the door fully. He motioned for her to come inside, stepping aside so she had room to enter. Mia hesitated as well, but decided that Soren could be trusted, and stepped inside.

Soren closed the door softly and sat down on his bed. His desk chair was open and Mia sat down there, looking around curious at what his room looked like. Nobody went into Soren's room, except Ike and that was only for mercenary business. The window was open, looking out towards a moon and empty training field.

"Tea?" Soren asked, motioning towards the cooling kettle on his bedside table. Rhys insisted he drink plenty of it, and Soren didn't mind that. Tea was his favorite drink after all, and he was constantly trying to get Ike to drink it as well (with no such luck). Mia shook her head, looking a little confused. Well, that was no surprise.

"Why did you help me?" Mia repeated her earlier question. Soren poured himself a cup of tea and sipped it carefully. No, still a little hot, he thought as he put it down on his bedside table.

"I've... I've had an insight since I've started to talk to you. Its given me a lot to think about, its confusing... And, at the same time, I feel compelled to do things I usually wouldn't... Does that answer your question?" Soren answered, speaking slowly and choosing his words carefully. How could he explain? How could he tell her about all the years he spent thinking the world hated him? That the world was a cold place without love, or laughter, or hope? How could he explain something she probably couldn't even understand?

Soren took another sip of his tea, his fingers trembling despite himself. He cut his drink short, quickly putting the cup down so Mia wouldn't notice. Said trueblade looked like she was in deep thought, trying to understand his answer.

"Not really. What insight? What can I have shown you? You're the smartest out of all of us Soren! I mean, everybody trusts you with our lives for a reason!" Soren didn't know what to say, for what must have been the third time since talking with Mia, he was at a loss for words. Was he flattered? Suspicious of the flattery? Certainly none of the others (save Ike, but he was different) had ever mentioned anything about being thankful to the archsage for his tactics, though he _did _save their sorry lives.

"... Why are you doing this?" Why are you treating me like a human being? Soren wanted to ask. I'm not what you think I am, I'm a filthy Branded! You should hate me, you should loath everything I am! You should be cursing at me for sparring with you, for acting like a spirit charmer! Soren waited for Mia to answer, the moonlight and candle light flickering across her face.

"Because I want to know Soren! I... I consider you a friend, a good one, even if you don't think the same of me." Mia met his gaze easily, her eyes hard and determined. She... She really meant what she said!

Soren didn't know what to do- he felt like the silent mute he once was so long ago. Unable to do anything but listen, not even respond. He couldn't come up with a good reply, his thoughts just kept shattering. _I... I consider you a friend, a good one_. The words echoed in Soren's head, and suddenly he felt like he was just sitting there, unable to do anything.

"Soren? Are you alright?" Mia's voice seemed far off, was it just him? Soren blinked and shook his head, clearing his mind. He nodded once and took a sip of tea. It was cooled enough so he could take a long sip, trying to calm his mind.

"Do you want me to go?" Soren had closed his eyes but now they glanced up at the trueblade. Did he want her to leave?

"Um, what?" Soren bought himself some extra time with what sounded like a clumsy reply. Did he want her to leave? Did he consider her a friend? The only person he had ever called a friend was Ike, and Ike was a special person... Or was he?

"I-I guess I should leave... Can I ask you one more thing?" Soren blinked and looked up at Mia, who had stood up and gone to the door. Soren nodded and lifted his nearly empty tea cup to take one last sip.

"Rhys said you aren't a spirit charmer, so what are you?" The cup dropped from Soren's hand and hit the ground, shattering into a million pieces. Soren looked at it with a pained look in his eyes, and he hardly heard the door open and close as Mia left.

He definitely didn't see the equally pained look in Mia's eyes, right before she closed the door.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: **Ah, the last chapter was fun to write, believe it or not. I suppose I just enjoy making Soren loose his words and become all bashful. Glad you all liked it! This chapter may or may not be the last one, I'm hesitant to make this too long for many reasons. I suppose if you ask enough I _might _add a sixth chapter. I know I said it might go up to eight chapters, but that would make this a short-story. Its already longer then I wanted it to be (I planned on three chapters people!) and I want to move on and write something else.

**A/N2: **I'm so happy! Got the new PJO book signed! Anyway, I'm using that as an excuse for me being lazy and not updating this sooner. Yep, I've got an excuse for everything! Also, I got it before this chapter was put up, so I've easily finished it by the time you all are reading this (just FYI XD).

**youdon'tknow: **Ah-ha, sort of nice to know I'm not the first person who has told you to get a profile. That's a good thing, right? Anyway, don't worry about me forgetting anything about the plot (wink) I've got a pretty good idea about what's going to happen. Also, about you hearing that line from somewhere else... I didn't take it from anywhere, so its just coincidence... Although I can see why people would use that line XD

* * *

"Are you sure he's alright? I haven't seen him around since- well, you know." Rhys sighed despite himself. Mia was caring, certainly, but she was wearing him down. Rhys turned towards the trueblade and met her in the eyes.

"He's fine Mia, he just doesn't want to have anyone talk to him. I mean, I went in to see him the other day and he lost it. I've never seen him so mad... I think he threw something at me, but, honestly, I ran before I could see what was wrong." Mia didn't answer the priest as they left the weapon storage, Rhys holding a new mend staff in hand.

"I suppose you must have hit some kind of nerve- did he seem upset after you told him?" Mia remembered the pained look in Soren's eyes, like someone had just killed someone he loved right in front of him. The cup, shattering, just like the brief thought in Mia's mind that she might just be considered a friend by Soren. Mia took an unsteady gulp as Rhys locked the storage room.

"Y-Yeah... He was very upset... Hey, I've got to go... Do... Something..." Mia trailed off and glanced at Rhys, barely able to meet his gaze. Rhys gave her a soft look and nodded- Mia turned around and ran down the hall, anywhere, away from the white-robed priest.

Rhys was only able to watch as Mia sped down the hall, jumped down the stairs three steps at a time, and ran outside away from the fort. He sighed, his own guilt rushing up over him. What in the goddess' name did he do?

* * *

Soren had locked the room door, kept the window shut tightly (he refused to look outside, even if some part of him ached to know what M- someone was doing), and let nobody inside. After Rhys had come in Soren had, officially, lost it. Although, perhaps throwing a tome at the priest's head was a little much. No, Soren thought venomously, it wasn't a _little much_. The foolish man deserved it, he deserved it all!

For destroying what Soren had built around him, for telling Mia (and maybe the other mercenaries, though Soren had to shut his mind down when he thought of what they would do to him). For telling the only person who cared for Soren when he tried to push her away. No, Ike... Ike was always there, nobody could compare to him! Soren clutched the quill in his hand tightly, his fingers white with tension.

"AHHH!" Soren screamed, banging his free hand down onto the table in a fist. He found his face pressing onto the desk, as if he could melt into the wood and make it all go away. "Why did you curse me like this? What have I done to you!" Soren screamed, despite his mind telling him to shut up before someone came to see what was going on. He thought about the goddess, Ashera, and how coldly she had ignored the news about the Branded. Well of course she would- she was supposed to be so freaking perfect!

And there was no way someone perfect would care about something like Soren. Soren was a stain onto the world, a black splotch on the middle of an otherwise perfect painting. Ike's face swam into Soren's mind, reminding him that, maybe, some people weren't all evil. Then Ike's face started to morph into Mia's, but the look was... Different. Mia looked mad, crazed even. Like she wanted to destroy Soren for what he was.

"AHHH!" Soren slammed his fist on the table again, the ink bottle spinning dangerously. The frugal part of his mind made his right hand, the one with the quill, shoot out and grab it. He closed the lid and fastened it shut. He put the quill down and gave his death glare to the inventory list. Luckily no ink had gotten on it, nor was it blurred, but nothing was filled out.

He trusted no one, now at least, to take inventory for him. But in order to do it himself he would run the risk of seeing someone, seeing Mia or Rhys, of loosing control, of his secret getting out. Damn them, damn the goddess! Why couldn't he have a normal life? One where he wouldn't be constantly lying through his teeth, one where he wasn't shunned or treated like some bug in someone's soup. One where he could have a friend? No, he had a friend. Soren didn't need anyone but Ike- right?

Knock, knock. The sound made Soren freeze, his entire mind just shutting down. Two more knocks, then a voice.

"Soren? I heard you from next door. Are you alright?" Ike. Thank the goddess (no, not her) that it was Ike. Someone Soren could talk to without fearing about what they would do if they knew. Would Mist (sweet, innocent Mist) be like her brother and not care? Or would her husband, Boyd (a worthy fighter, but hopeless in anything else), have had poisoned her with lies (were they really lies?) and caused her to hate him too? And Titania, usually even-handed and fair, would she be so kind to someone people considered a sin?

"Soren? You have five seconds before I break your door down, answer me!" Ike's voice was panicked, so Soren was quick to reply.

"Y-Yes Ike?" Soren raised his head, starring at the closed window in front of him. His candle was flickering and the several others he had scattered around the room didn't help with the darkness- but he didn't need light.

"I heard you scream, can I come in?" Ike was probably leaning against the door frame, his face etched in worry, like it usually was when Soren locked himself in his room. Soren looked at his fingers which were covered in ink, though in the dimness it looked like blood. His black robes were filthy, and his own appearance could hardly be better. He hadn't left his room in a while, after all. He didn't need others, that's what he told himself. He didn't need to know what everyone else thought about him, nor did he care. It wasn't like his opinion meant anything.

Soren didn't reply, standing up silently and unlocking his door. He opened it wide enough so Ike could see his face, enough so Ike would calm down. While some would think Ike was only joking about breaking Soren's door down, you could never be _too _sure- it _had _happened before.

"What did you want?" Soren knew his voice was cold, pure venom compared to most days. He felt like he deserved it, his life was about to be destroyed once Mia knew what he was. And then he'd have to run again, unable to find another place like the Greil Mercenaries. Unable to find another person like Ike. Said man's face was etched in worry, and he was leaning on the door frame. He looked better then before, like he wasn't sick anymore. Well, some good news.

"Is something wrong? Rhys said he went to check on you but you threw a book at him." Ike was worried, his voice had that soft edge to it that Soren could pick out so easily now, after hearing it so often. Soren tried to glare at Ike, but he met his gaze easily and Soren just couldn't. He couldn't push this one person away, maybe the only person who could stand Soren's glares constantly.

"I'd like to know what's bothering my tactician." Soren felt a sharp jab of pain, though his eyes didn't betray him (right? He controlled his emotions, they never showed!) and they never showed pain (a totally, complete, and utter lie). Why was Ike calling him a tactician? Not 'friend', like usual. Soren looked at the floor and muttered,

"Nothing you should worry about. Commander." Silence for several seconds (Soren was confident that, no, it was not a lifetime. No matter how long it felt), then Ike shifted position so he had a free arm. His hand grabbed Soren by the chin and gently lifted Soren's head so they were looking at each other in the eyes.

"I'd like to know what's bothering you Soren. You've been my friend since forever- you know that will never change." Ike's voice was softer then Soren had ever heard it before. He never knew Ike could whisper, he usually only had a deep mutter that you could hear from a room away. Soren blinked as Ike continued. "I can't stand by and pretend nothing is wrong to someone so close to me. You know that." Soren gulped and nodded; Ike's hand disappeared from under Soren's chin and Soren found himself looking back at the ground.

"They know Ike... They know!" He heard the panic in his voice, the sound close to pure terror. "I can't stand being chased away again, not now, not after everything! I-Ike... I'm scared." And suddenly, Soren was back to being a young child, starving and all alone, in the middle of a forest in Gallia. Then, out of nowhere, a blue-haired youth comes and sees him.

Ike suddenly grabbed Soren and pulled him close into a hug, holding his (much smaller and now slightly squished) friend close to him. The thought of running, pulling himself away from Ike, flashed in Soren's mind. Then the warmth of having someone so close to him was strangely comforting. It made him (almost) wish for a real family of his own, someone who he was really related too.

"Nothing will happen to you, I promise Soren... I will never let anyone hurt you, and if they think they can chase you off, well, then they'll need to find a new commander." And then Soren heard Ike speak and he realized that, so maybe he wasn't blood related to Ike, that he had something better then a family already.

* * *

Admittedly, Mia wasn't quite sure what she was trying to get across with a box of candy (nothing fancy, just some simple chocolate- surely he would like something in the box) and going to see Soren, but it couldn't be a good thing that Ike himself had said she needed to go see Soren to talk to him.

Still, that was what the trueblade (though she hadn't worn that outfit since The Incident) was doing. Though she was wondering if the candy was a little much. Well, it wasn't like she was bringing him flowers and a card. Knock, knock. Two knocks on the door then she waited. Nothing, not a single sound from the door.

"S-Soren... I wanted to come in to talk to you... I know you're really mad at me but I don't know why. Or, well, I guess it has to do with what I said before I left. But I don't know why you're so mad... Can we just talk?" Mia didn't _really _expect an answer, so she was pleasantly surprised when Soren's voice came from inside the room.

"If you've come to say sorry then there's no need. I know you hate me for what I am, so if you've come to try to 'talk to me' about what I am, then you can leave now." Ok, maybe his reply was a little more scathing then she'd hoped for. But it was something, right?

"I don't hate you, honest! If anything, you should hate _me_. I nearly killed you Soren, no real friend should ever do that to another friend. Why would I hate you Soren? You've done nothing wrong!" From inside the room Mia could hear Soren's loud snort, then she heard him get up from his chair and come near the door. She backed away, expecting it to open. But it didn't.

"I-I've done nothing wrong?" Soren's voice had a tone of disbelief. "So then... You don't know what I really am? You weren't asking me just to..." The voice trailed off into silence. Mia was, now at least, fully and completely puzzled. She felt that nagging feel more then ever. I should know this! She thought. I should know what he is... Think, strange marks, a fear that someone will know... What could be so bad that someone would lock themselves in a room in fear of it being discovered?

_There's only one thing worse then those filthy sub-humans, and that's someone who's half sub-human, half beorc._ Her father had once said that, and then it all clicked. Mia felt her knees buckle, felt herself sliding to the floor.

"Mia? Did you leave or drop something? I heard a thunk on the floor..." Soren had opened the door and now saw her, sitting there numbly, the box loosely in her hand.

_They bring bad luck everywhere! And, if that's not bad enough, they're against the goddess themselves! They shouldn't even exist!_ Soren... He was a Branded?

Soren knelt down next to Mia, putting the box aside after he raised an eyebrow out of puzzlement. Of course, Mia thought, it all fit...

"Soren... You're... You're a Branded?"

* * *

Ike had, to that day, never seen Soren so upset. Obviously getting Mia to speak to him hadn't worked- if anything it had backfired. Mia had been pulled aside with Ike and told that she couldn't tell anyone what she knew, but that was only part A of damage control.

"We have to go now Ike! Before... Before everyone knows! Its only a matter of time until she spills, and if we can get to another town by then...! We have to go!" Soren was running around Ike's room throwing various clothing articles into a bag, his eyes red with traces of tears (though it was hard to tell, Ike, who had seen Soren's eyes many times, could see the small differences). Soren seemed to be doing two things now- packing random items (not just clothing, but books and things to keep weapons together) into a bag (how he was fitting so much into one bag was beyond Ike) and sobbing into the nearest soft surface.

Which usually ended up being Ike as the hero was trying to minimize damage by calming Soren down. Needless to say, it was not working.

"Soren! Calm down- Mia's trustworthy and looked just as stunned as you. I doubt she's in any condition to do anything at this point. Besides, even if she does hate you- which, by the way, isn't likely- she'll listen to me. I ordered her to not say a word to anyone, she won't. Nothing bad is going to happen, ok? I promise!" Soren suddenly spun around and nearly hit Ike in the chest with his bag. He dropped it just in time and (more or less) tackled Ike as he sobbed into his shirt.

"Y-You don't understand!" Most of his words were muffled by Ike's shirt, but the blue-haired man was able to pat Soren on the back and tell him everything was going to be alright. "Its not just what everyone is going to think, its what she thinks about me! Its why this is worrying me so much! I can't understand anything anymore!" Soren titled his head up and looked at Ike. His face was streaked with more tears then before, and a few fresh ones made their way down his face.

Ike brushed them aside without a second thought, going to one knee so it would be easier to talk to Soren.

"Ike... I don't know what's wrong with me!" Soren moaned, fresh tears coming. Ike would have brushed them off too, but Soren continued to talk. "One moment all I can think about is _her_; what's she's doing, if I should challenge her to a duel, if I should just talk to her. Then this whole thing starts up and all I can do is worry if she's going to loath me, if she's going to pretend like I don't exist! I don't even know which is worse- being ignored when, for once, I want to see her, or being hated... Ike, I'm confused! Puzzled! Perplexed!" Ike couldn't help but give Soren a small, slightly sad, smile.

"Soren, not everything in life is going to be easy for you to solve." Ike stood up again and put his hands on Soren's shoulders. "Maybe you consider her a friend, maybe the reason you're so scared is because... Well, maybe you want to be more then friends." At this point Ike was shooting in the dark, but you could never be sure with Soren. It did sound like, despite everything Soren was feeling, he did have some feelings for Mia.

Soren was, obviously, still in doubt about any feelings whatsoever. He gave Ike a look like Ike had just grown horns (though Ike doubted Soren would care) and stammered,

"I-I don't know what you're talking about! I-I don't _feel _anything for Mia because she probably loathes me! She's probably going to finish what she started!" Considering that before he hadn't cared and had put some of the blame on himself for his wound, Ike had a feeling that Soren really _was _in denial about something. What? Ike didn't know, but he did know that Soren was not going to be leaving anytime soon.

"Soren." Ike's voice adopted a sterner sense of tone, like he was more serious then he had been before.  
"You aren't going to keep running from all your problems, it won't solve anything. Please, two more days for me to show you that you'll gain nothing from leaving and loose everything if you do." Soren had a disbelieving look on his face, his eyes empty of emotion but with a gleam of- was it hope?

"... Two more days, for you Ike. But I still don't trust anyone but you Ike. And I still don't think Mia will stay quite. I trust you Ike, and you're my only friend, so I'll stay... That's all I can promise." Soren turned to leave, but Ike said,

"Soren?" And the archsage stopped and turned back around. "I think these are for you." Ike threw a small box at Soren, who was able to catch it. Soren narrowed his eyes- it was the same box Mia had when she came to see him, why would he want it? "I won't eat them, and the note inside... You deserve to read it."

* * *

"What's wrong? You've been quite all day!" Mist commented during dinner. Mia could feel Soren's icy ignorance from across the room, and it hurt her like a dagger to the chest. She had considered him a friend, but now he ignored her because of what she had found out? Was she upset? Yes, why didn't he just tell her? Was she nervous? A little, sure. But was she going to hate Soren for who his parents were? No! Why would she? It was beyond his control, and to Mia it didn't really matter. Soren was still Soren, and that meant he was still her friend.

No, what hurt now was being so painfully ignored and being unable to do anything about it.

"Mia? Is everything alright?" Titania asked, her face full of worry. Mist looked at her like she could, if she stared hard enough, find out what was going on. "You're never this quite, has something happened?" Mia put on a fake smile and shook her head.

"No, everything's alright! I just can't wait to start sparring with the boss again, I've been thinking about how I can defeat him!" Mist and Titania smiled back, Mist even laughed. Ike was much better, the two days of doing nearly nothing had healed him enough so that a hesitant Rhys agreed to let him train _carefully and keeping check of how tired he got_. Still, any training was better then no training- right?

"My brother's pretty good Mia, I dunno, its going to be close!" Mist said, grinning as she ate her breakfast. Titania nodded in agreement.

"You're both very good fighters, I wish you the best of luck!" Titania stood up and took one last bite of her toast. "I've gotta run, we need a few more supplies and Soren says we just 'have to get them now' before we find ourselves in 'a tight spot'." Titania grinned and nodded towards the two other girls. "Mia, Mist, have a good day!" And then the paladin was gone, dropping her plate off in the kitchen and leaving for the stables.

Mia sighed and continued to eat, though she wasn't feeling very hungry. Mist's voice was like white noise, filling in the background with the sounds of the mercenaries eating. She was talking about Boyd, clothes, what she was going to do, anything to fill in the empty void that was Mia's lack of voice. But Mia didn't feel like talking, she didn't feel like eating. She was even having doubts about her upcoming spar!

Why would she not want to fight Ike? Fighting him would help give her an edge in the upcoming mission she was assigned too, and even a little push in the right direction could help! She hadn't fought bandits in ages, it would be a nice feel to help out a village.

"I've got to go Mia, there's a few chores I have to do before I can relax and I have to have them done before Soren finds out I've been pushing them back. Bye!" Mia hardly remembered to tell Mist goodbye as the trueblade fell into thought. Soren, yes, that was why Mia was feeling so down. The archsage had ignored her, and when he did look at her, looked angry and close to _attacking_ her. Mia sighed, moving her eggs from one side of the plate to the other. Suddenly a voice said,

"Are they not good? I thought you of all people would like them." Mia's eyes darted up and she sighed, shrugging.

"They're great, really... I guess I'm just not hungry." At that moment Mia's stomach rumbled and Mia felt a blush creep onto her face, her eyes still on the green-haired cook, Oscar. The man smiled and replied,

"Are you sure? You sound pretty hungry. If you want I can make you something else. I'm afraid we don't have many supplies though, I think Titania is going out to get some today." Mia shook her head and shrugged again, looking down at her food and taking a bite of the eggs. She swallowed before continuing.

"I don't want to eat I guess. I should, probably." She took another bite of the eggs and watched as Oscar sat down, his smile still on his face. Mia sometimes wondered if it was all a show (the man always was happy, or so it seemed) like Mia's happiness. A mask, to hide what she was really feeling. But with Oscar it all looked so real... If it was a mask it was the best Mia had ever seen.

"You probably should..." The silence stretched between them until Oscar continued. "Can I ask what's on your mind?" Mia shook her head.

"Go ahead, I guess." She took another forced bite. It was amazing cooking, as usual, but her heart must not have been in it because Oscar shook his head.

"Don't force yourself to eat because I'm here... Besides, you look like Boyd the day he asked Mist to marry him! Ha, I'd never seen him so nervous! He looked worse then the time... Well, he probably wouldn't want me telling you. My point is, why are you so nervous? Any weddings I should know about?" Oscar was joking, obviously, and it made Mia feel a little better. The paladin was always able to make people feel better.

"Nah, I'm not going to get married... I'm just really confused." Mia wished she could ask him for advice about what to do if you had a friend who was Branded, but Ike had told her not to tell anyone about Soren, and Soren... Well, Mia didn't want to hurt him anymore then she assumed she had.

She put her fork down and Oscar nodded slowly. The man started to stand, but suddenly Mia asked,

"What do you do if you want to be friends with someone who doesn't like you?" Oscar paused, in-between standing and sitting. He sat down and thought for several seconds, before answering the question.

"I won't ask who it is because I can tell you don't want me to know... But the only way to do that is to show that person you care for them. That you want to be friends with them, and that they should like you. There's no real way to force someone to be your friend though... And Mia?"

"Yeah Oscar?" The green-haired man paused before continuing, wondering if it was really his place to add his own thoughts.

"Whoever this person is should realize who you are, that you're a nice person who always takes care of her friends. And, however this ends between you and this other person, I hope you understand the rest of us think you're a friend. A great one." Oscar left Mia then, standing up and taking her plate to clean it.

Oscar left Mia thinking about his words, thinking so deeply that, in fact, the blue-haired woman did not notice red-eyes glancing at her, right before their owner left the room. Of course this means that Mia did not hear the small sigh that said owner of those deep red-eyes let out.

* * *

Soren gently pushed several old inventory sheets aside, as well as and old teabag and an empty inkwell whose latch had broken. He reached down and pulled out a slightly dented and wet (thanks to the teabag) box.

Pulling it out, Soren saw the water hadn't gotten in deep enough to ruin the chocolate or the small piece of paper that lay atop said chocolate. Soren lay the top aside and hesitated, but finally took the note out and read it.

"Dear Soren. If you are reading this I guess you didn't just throw this box into the trashcan, so thanks. I wasn't sure what to get you, but I decided chocolate was a good idea. You do like chocolate, right?" Soren smirked slightly to himself. Candy was a waste of money and therefor something he didn't eat, but he did enjoy the sweet taste as they melted in his mouth. Soren grabbed one (all that went into his trash was paper and teabags, so he assumed it would be safe to eat) and threw it into his mouth as he continued to read.

"Anyway, what I wanted to write this for is for an official, 'I'm sorry cut you open and I was wondering if we could still be friends' kind of thing. I understand you don't really think of any of us as friends (except Ike) and I know I've told you already that I consider you a friend. I just wanted to make sure you understood I wasn't just saying that." Soren's face was blank only out of habit, the mask hiding the slight shock her felt inside. Mia had gone to all the trouble of getting candy for him, just so he would understand they were friends?

Were they friends? Soren wasn't sure what the word meant now. Only Ike had ever gone the distance for him, so Soren had always assumed Ike was a whole different kind of person. Only now had anyone else even come close to meeting the standard Ike had set, and Mia was still miles lower then Ike in Soren's mind. But she was miles higher then anyone else... Was that friendship?

"I would never lie and tell someone I was their friend without really meaning that. I doubt this will mean much to you, and all I can hope is that you can understand and won't push me away. Because friends don't try to push other friends away. Yes Soren, I hope you can see me as a friend. I hope you understand, Mia." Soren placed the note silently on his table, the chocolate forgotten.

Was Mia a friend? What was a friend to him? Could he consider anyone besides Ike a friend? Try to calm himself down and stop his raging mind Soren sat down in his chair and took out his dictionary, flipping towards the right word. Fiend, field, Friday, fried, friend! Soren almost didn't want to read the definition.

A person whom one knows, likes, and trusts.

A person whom one knows; an acquaintance.

A person with whom one is allied in a struggle or cause; a comrade.

Soren's eyes drifted down the list in an almost lazy speed. Ike would fit all three of the definitions, Mia only two. He knew Mia, and they had fought on the same side in two wars. But did Soren trust Mia? No, he hardly liked the trueblade! Part of him whispered that he did like Mia, but then he slammed the dictionary shut and that small voice fell silent.

Soren sighed and grabbed another chocolate, chewing it while he thought. Then, quite suddenly, he stood and threw open his window and then blew out the candles.

"Enough of this darkness!" Soren muttered to himself. "After all, it was a waste of candles." But, seeing Ike and Mia sparring in the training area, Soren wasn't sure that was the only reason. That, and the fact he decided to change into his archsage robes and go down to watch.

After all, his mind said, he needed some fresh air and he should make sure Ike didn't exert himself. At least, that's all he admitted his mind said. Some parts were excited to see Mia, even if it was just to watch.

* * *

"HYA!" A quick slash was barely blocked by a quick slide back and bringing Ragnell up. Ike was slightly surprised to see Mia in such good shape (if anything she was even better then before) after the few days he was gone. Did Soren training with her really help so much? Ike grit his teeth as he parried Mia's attack, both of them sliding back a few feet, both panting heavily.

"You're a lot better Mia! You must have been training like crazy while I was sick." Ike said as he regained his breath. Mia grinned at him, quickly brushing some sweat off her brow.

"Yeah! I trained a lot... Soren helped too." Ike noticed she seemed to flinch when she said Soren. "But enough talk! Get ready Ike!" Mia charged, easily covering the short distance. Their swords hit each other, the ringing in Ike's ears causing him to not notice Soren at first. But it was hard to _not _notice the archsage when he was in his white robes, as they contrasted so much with Soren's dark hair and piercing glares.

"Ha! You're really good, but we should finish this up!" Ike spun around, forcing Mia back. Using Ragnell's longer reach to slash at Mia's middle. She was cut open, but it wasn't deep, though she gasped in both surprise and pain. Ike held Ragnell in a ready position. "Is that it for now? Should Soren heal you?" Mia blinked and nodded, wiping more sweat off her face.

"Y-Yeah... I should get something to drink." They both shook hands, their way of ending a duel. After, Ike went to talk to Soren while Mia gulped down some water from her canteen.

"Hey Soren, nice to see you decided to leave your room. You could use some sun." Soren scowled, but he was so used to the 'you need to get out more and be more social' speech that he didn't complain. "Did you read the note? I was wondering what it said, but I promise I didn't read it." Soren gave Ike a half-smile and nodded.

"It reminded me of something... Speaking of which, may I go speak to Mia?" Ike raised an eyebrow and Soren sighed. "An interesting insight that changed my view... Ah, I'll be right back." Ike couldn't help but notice he didn't tell Ike just _what _his insight what.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: **I had a major epic fail- I go back to read the last chapter and the first thing I notice is a typo. *Facepalm* So forgive me about that, I'll go and change it. Sooner or later... *Ahem*

I've decided that I still like this story well enough to continue with it for a little while more, but I really do mean a little more... As this is the last official chapter of Dueling at Dawn! Yes, I went there! Anyway, I do plan on having an Epilogue chapter after this one, but as for the whole plot and real story... This is it. So then, I really hope you enjoy this chapter.

**youdon'tknow: **Yes, well, when you're Soren I don't suppose chivalry has anything to do with it (I doubt he would care). It must be frustrating to be unable to review things without an account... Hence why I allow reviews from anyone! XD

Also, for your question about ' was she going to hate Soren for who his parents were' and all, I see it as Mia possibly hating Soren because of who his parents are, not who he is. Let me put it like this. Shinon (a notable racist) hates laguz because they are laguz. But, he does not hate them for them being them (take Janaff for example). That's what I'm trying to say there. If Mia hates Soren because he's Branded, then she hates him because his parents are beorc and laguz. This also means she doesn't need to know who his parents are (Soren doesn't even know XD).

The whole white-robed thing starts up in this chapter, so, yes, it did take me a while XD And, of course, be prepared for a heart-to-heart with Rhys.

* * *

Mia had her face in a towel when he came over, so she wasn't able to hear him say her name. Still, once she finished she was able to see him scowling in front of her.

"Ah! Soren!" She exclaimed, her face pulling into a grin. Mia was a little confused though, wondering why he had suddenly come to see her and what he wanted to say. "I.. Uh, I won't tell anyone alright? I know my word probably doesn't mean anything to you, but I swear." Soren raised an eyebrow and Mia stopped, though she had more she wanted to say.

Soren looked comfortable in his white robes, though it was hot out and they were heavier than his black ones. Mia bit her tongue, wondering if she could tell him _her _insight that she got by being around him more.

"I read the note." Ah. Mia felt like a hole opened underneath her and like she fell all the way down the planet. It wasn't like she was embarrassed about anything she wrote, nor did she regret having written it. She meant everything she put in it, but with the recent developments, would he take her seriously? "I... I appreciate the thoughts. But... I'm not sure I can call you a friend. I... Heh..." Soren's face adopted an unsettling smirk, though Mia had seen it before.

"I'm not sure what a friend _is_. So how can I call you one? I suppose... Its not that I don't think you're a good fighter, and you're reliable... Its more that I just don't know what I'm supposed to do. You and Ike should, do, know why..." Mia saw his face wiped blank again, so his emotions were hidden.

Mia wasn't sure what to say. Here was someone saying he wasn't sure if they could be friends because he wasn't sure he knew what a friend was. And then there was the matter of his birth... What must it have been like, being born into a world that hated you for your parents? Did he even know his parents? For some reason Mia doubted it.

"Soren... I..." Mia was cut off by a truly terrifying glare from the archsage. She had never seen his eyes so bright, or was it just the sunlight reflecting off them?

"No. Don't try to relate to me Mia... You can't. Whatever you say can't change what happened. I should go, I have inventory to take." He turned away and Mia hesitated. It was clear he wanted to be left alone, but she could feel Ike's eyes on her as he watched. No, it wasn't just because of Ike. No, Mia wanted to comfort Soren, even if it couldn't change anything. So right before he left her reach the trueblade lept forward and grabbed at his sleeve.

Soren blinked and looked back at her, as if confused. Had he expected her to just let him go? No, that wasn't what a friend would do. That wasn't what Mia would do. And Soren being Branded didn't make a difference to Mia, Soren was still Soren.

"I know I can't do anything to change the past. And I know you probably don't want me to comfort you... But I want to help! I can't even start to imagine what it must have been like, nothing can come close... But I can't just stand by and let you suffer by yourself. I have to step in and help you realize that not everyone is going to hate you. Soren... You're brilliant, really, and you might be the strongest person in our group. I can't think of anyone else who could have survived and become so amazing like you are today." Soren was now totally and completely confused. Since when had anyone really gone out of their way to make sure he was alright? Ike was the only person who did that, Ike was the only person who cared...

No, that conflicted with his new insight... So what was true? Mia's words? Or the long and large amount of suffering he had taken that spoke without words?

"Soren... You are the most brilliant person I've ever met... I just thought you of all people deserved to know." Mia let his arm go, and watched as it dropped to his side. Soren was looking at the ground, deep in thought. When he brought his head up again he was giving her a faint smile.

"T-Thank you Mia... But you should know..." He hesitated, as if thinking of the best course of action. But then he shrugged, as if pushing logical thought away for once in his life. "You are a truly brilliant person too." Mia grinned back and put her hands on her hips, practically giddy about the way things had turned out. Soren... He was alright with everything. Sure, it would take some time to get him to come out of his hole, but she could do it. Soren was a good person, everyone would be able to see it! Soren's face twitched and he managed to give Mia a full grin, though it looked a little pained (had he ever really smiled?) and forced. He nodded to Mia and turned towards the fort, and Mia watched as he left, still giddy.

As the archsage left, a Ragnell-wielding hero felt like Soren was, just maybe, close to not having to rely on him. Maybe miracles do happen.

* * *

"Only three heal staffs? For our two healers? Titania better get some..." Soren sighed in the dusty room that was the storage for things that were not weapons (there were several energy drops and speedwings Soren noted) and generally forgotten. Soren still checked it every few days, though not with as much vigor as the weapon storage. You never knew when Shinon was using up his bows faster then Soren thought was possible.

It was not his favorite duty. No, it wasn't even mildly entertaining. But he didn't think anyone else was trustworthy enough, and Ike was already busy enough. Maybe I can get Mia to do it... No, that was not a good idea. Soren flinched at the idea of letting the girl loose in a room full of weapons or supplies. No, it was best Soren took a hour or two out of his day to take inventory himself. If just for the sake of the supplies and his mental sanity.

"Hm... A secret book from out last battle... Yes, I should give that to someone so they can use it." Soren made a note down on his sheet of paper as he continued to walk around, though his mind wasn't _really _into what he was doing. Mia kept floating to the surface, and the fact that he felt that he could trust her (after only a few days? Madness!) particularly came to mind.

Something about that trueblade was comforting. Blue hair, like Ike? Or was it something else? Soren sighed again, shaking his head. Whatever it was distracted him from his work, dammit. Soren grit his teeth and scribbled down a few more things on his list. Was that it? Soren's eyes looked over the list carefully and easily, used to reading his cursive-and-fancy print. Yes, that was it. Soren couldn't help but breath a sigh of relief as he let his arms drop down to his sides, though his mind rolled through the rest of his duties. Inventory for the weapons next, the man told himself.

"S-Soren?" At least Soren did _not _yelp, though he had the urge to. Spinning around faster then usual, the archsage found himself face-to-face with a white-robed priest. Damn. Not what Soren wanted to do quiet yet, that was later.

"Rhys? You..." Soren's first thought was to slap the man, or at least elwind him (it wasn't like he'd be hurt too badly, and Mist could always use some practice) but something stopped him. Was it the flash of fear in Rhys' eyes? He was helpless- against Soren he was outmatched and the priest knew it. Soren could easily badly hurt, or even kill, Rhys without even trying that hard. And goddess, Soren had half a mind to do so.

"... Whatever you do, I deserve it. Nothing I say can excuse me from the fact that I said something that I now understand was private... I'm sorry Soren, I truly am... So..." Rhys spread his arms out for a second before letting them drop again. The other man's head was dropped so he was looking at the ground, and Soren couldn't help but wonder if Rhys was true to his words. He didn't seem to know that Soren was Branded, or the priest was much more tolerant then his counter-parts. Maybe he could get off with a rant? Soren sighed and put his papers under his shoulder so he could cross his arms and glare at the man.

"... Do you realize what you did?" Rhys glanced up and flinched- for a grown man he wasn't very brave, but somehow Soren could understand that. "What you did was inexcusable and I have half a mind to find revenge..." Rhys paled and Soren sighed again. "But I know that wouldn't be fair... I understand there was no malice behind your actions... But be careful what you tell people Rhys." The archsage moved past the priest and walked out of the room, but paused, hearing Rhys' voice.

"Thank you goddess... Thank you Soren... For your forgiveness..." Soren's back was to him, but he could imagine the man crossing himself, and clutched the wooden door frame tightly. "... I hope he understands I truly am sorry..." Soren closed his eyes and moved away from the room, from Rhys, and shook his head once he deemed himself a far enough distance from the supplies.

"I don't want your thanks Rhys... It means nothing..." But even as he said the words, Soren found himself realizing they meant nothing, and the thanks meant more then he would admit to himself.

* * *

Mia, right after cleaning up from her duel with Ike (dang, that man never lost his edge), decided to try to find Soren to ask him if he wanted to spar with her. Maybe it was a little much for the boy (he was older then her, she assumed, though he looked younger) to spar with her right after the recent events, but Mia couldn't think of another she would want to spar with right then.

Boyd was never the real challenge she wanted, seeing as her sword already had an advantage and she usually didn't feel a need to hold back when fighting him. Shinon would just turn her down, and Gatrie would end up hitting on her. Titania was out at the village, and Oscar was caring for his horse. And Rhys... Poor Rhys, the white-robed man was scared to spar with her ever since the white-robed fiasco. Mia was starting to think over the words, and she realized something after talking with Oscar once...

Maybe, just maybe, her rival didn't have to use a sword. After all, Kieran (Oscar's self-proclaimed rival) used axes while Oscar used lances. And maybe she didn't have to defeat her rival, maybe... Well, the rest of her theory was still a little fuzzy, but maybe she just needed to tell someone about it.

'Someone' being a white-robed archsage named Soren who just happened to be Branded.

"Soren? Are you in there?" Mia knocked again on his door, but she didn't hear anything. After waiting for a minute or two, she decided that he was not just ignoring her, he really was out of his room. Was he already training? No, it wouldn't be like him to train so early in the day while the rest of the mercenaries were out and about (the cool morning mist had yet to be burnt away from a hot sun, making it the perfect temperature to train) and it wouldn't be like him to relax outside either. With that in mind, Mia assumed he was indoors.

Taking inventory? She thought. She headed to the weapons storage first, remembering that he was usually holding a stack of papers and snapping at people when they came to take a weapon out. She couldn't help but grin to herself as she headed towards the large room used to store weapons, remembering her first encounter with the sharp-witted mage.

It hadn't been a great start, certainly. He had chewed her out for missing a sniper who nearly decimated Rolf. Like she hadn't felt bad for that herself. But the weirdest part was that he didn't seem like he cared for Rolf, but more like he didn't want to deal with Oscar and Boyd's wrath. So a very confused Mia had found herself being chewed out for nearly unleashing the wrath of two members of the mercenaries, not for nearly killing Rolf.

Mia sighed again as she reached the outside of the right room. She didn't hear anything or anyone inside, but that wasn't much of a surprise. Soren insisted the weapons be kept neat, and it was one of the few things all of them agreed with. It made it easier to grab your weapons and know just which weapon you were grabbing.

Entering the room, the trueblade noticed her assumption was right and that Soren was checking the weapons. The swords, to be precise. Soren didn't seem to notice her, but as she grew closed he moved on and commented,

"We're running out of good swords, maybe someone will need to grab some on his next trip to the town." Mia raised an eyebrow as he scribbled something onto a paper.

"His next trip? Are you talking about Ike then?" Soren glanced at her and met her gaze with a blank expression. At least it wasn't a glare, Mia couldn't help but think.

"He has Ragnell, I'm quite confident that he will be fine." He looked at the lances and poked a few aside, glancing around before writing another line down. "If you want to know, I'm finished with the swords. Assuming you won't steal it, you can take one." Soren went on to the axes, Mia following him into the selves of weapons.

"I was wondering if we could spar. Nothing serious- I'll use an iron sword and you can use elwind." Neither of them said it, but it was understood that nobody wanted anyone to get hurt, least of all Soren. Mia was always getting slashed at, but Soren wasn't. Soren grimaced and didn't meet Mia's eyes as he wrote something down.

"... Mia. We need to talk. My room, after lunch? Ah, um, w-would that work?" For some reason, Mia couldn't help but grow her smile when Soren stuttered over his words. It was a sign that even he wasn't perfect, even he was human. It was a hidden trait that Mia thought he could do better to show.

"Sure thing Soren! But... Does that mean you don't want to spar?" Soren blinked and seemed confused by the question, or maybe he was just puzzled over his answer.

"... I-I'm afraid not Mia. I... I have a lot to do. Inventory... Checking the rooms..." Soren trailed off and Mia nodded, heading back to the swords and pulling out a silver sword, a rare weapon she had gotten for her last birthday. She had yet to use it in a real battle, but she usually trained with it when she had free time. She hesitated on her way out, and Soren's voice threaded through the stacks of items to surprise the woman.

"Perhaps another time. Sparring with you... It is a truly enjoyable experience." Mia felt her face redden, but she looked back at Soren's back and nodded, though he could not see her.

"Alright Soren! I'll see you at lunch, alright? Don't even think about missing a meal!" Soren looked up from his paper and, shocking Mia deep into her core, had a decent-sized smile on his face. A real smile, gleaming in his eyes and reflecting in his change of posture- much more relaxed then the everyday-Soren.

"I won't... I promise." Mia laughed and nodded again, walking out of the room. Soren sighed once she was down the hall, lowering his arms back down to his sides.

The room... It seemed a little colder, a little less of a shelter from the world, and more like an empty cave with a dismal feel about it.

* * *

Knock, knock. Two knocks, simple and soft. After a moment of pause, a voice floated out of the room softly, with a hint of uncertainty.

"Yes? Who is it?" Soren took a breath in and hesitated. "... Hello? Rolf? Do you need to talk to me about something?" The door opened, revealing the occupant of the room, his shocked face mixed with confusion.

"Rhys... I wanted to ask you something." Soren said, not thinking about it, from fear of stopping himself. "Its personal... But I doubt Ike could help me and... And, well, you were the only person I could think to ask." Seeing the confusion only deepen, Soren sighed and relented. "Its about Mia." Rhys raised an eyebrow, but nodded, opening his door fully. He invited the magic-user into his room, the window open, illuminating everything with a warm, golden light.

Soren followed the priest, standing though the red-head sat down in a desk chair. The sun might have been high in the sky, but, now that he was inside, Soren felt like it was all too bright. He narrowed his eyes to try to fight the glare, but he saw Rhys' startled expression and opened them a little.

"Ah... Um... What is it that you wanted to ask?" Soren opened his mouth, but closed it almost immediately after. He looked at the wooden floor, off to the side, unable to form his thoughts into words. The awkward silence filled the room but was broken by the sound of clinking tea-ware. Rhys poured himself a cup and dropped in a single sugar cube.

"Do you want a cup?" Rhys looked up, stirring in the sugar as he looked at his fellow spell-caster. Soren hesitated (could he trust him? Why would he just offer him a cup of tea?) before nodding slowly. Rhys poured the cup, then looked back at Soren. "Sugar?"

"No thanks... I wanted to know about... Um..." Now that Soren was thinking about it, he really did want to stop himself. Surely it wouldn't be so hard, just talking to Mia. Even though he was a Branded and he wasn't even sure what he wanted to say. Soren took the cup from Rhys, realizing his hand shook as the tea wobbled dangerously in his hand. Rhys could have raised an eyebrow, questioning Soren, but he didn't. Thankfully, the priest simply sipped at his tea and only glanced at Soren, instead looking outside at the forest side of the mercenaries' home.

"R-R-Rhys..." Dammit, since when had he not been able to speak? Soren could keep his calm during anything! So why was he shaking now, like he was on his way to the gallows? "W-Wh-What do you do when... W-W-When you..." Soren would have sworn Rhys was smirking as he drank his tea.

"Whenyouwantospend... Timewithsomeonebutdon'tknow... Uh, howthey'llreactifyouaskityouare... Morethenjustfriends." Rhys looked at Soren, his blue eyes meeting red. Although there were gaps between the parts of the sentence, it was all too fast for him to catch. He sighed and put his cup down on his saucer, most of the liquid gone.

"Ah... Could you say that a little slower please? I only caught a little of it." Soren was blushing furiously, but, for his credit, didn't stop in his reply.

"What do you do when... You want to spend time with someone but... Um, you don't know how they'll react if... Well, maybe, in theory, in no way relating to real life let alone any of the mercenaries (because that would be just preposterous), you wanted to know what they'd say if you... If you asked if you were more then just friends." Soren was shaking so much, he didn't dare try to drink out of his cup. He would be more likely to spill it all over himself. Instead, he set it down on Rhys' desk and pulled some stray hair strands off of his face.

"In complete theory of course. I am... Inexperienced in what you believe is 'love' and wish to learn more about it and the emotional responses to such feelings... Purely out of academic thought, of course." Rhys did not, for a moment, even blink an eye out of place. Thank you, Soren thought as he pleaded for the priest to not make a fuss. Or, even worse, tell anyone about the conversation.

"Of course... Well, are you friends with the person in question?" Soren hesitated. Was he friends with the person he was thinking about? Damn, this was going nowhere anytime fast, and lunch had to be soon. Soren decided to just admit it.

"Rhys, I'll be... I'll be honest with you. I keep on thinking about Mia and how she's such a great fighter, and how she's like Ike but different and more graceful, and all of these confusing thoughts! Me, confused! I... I'm not sure what to tell her after lunch, so I thought... You owe me, and Ike certainly cannot help me in this matter..." Rhys nodded, he had come to the same conclusion rather fast.

"Just admit your feelings. If you try to hide anything from her, she might not think you're sincere... And considering that you spend most of your time trying to stay away from us, you'll need to be as convincing as possible. My advice is to be honest and tell her right from the beginning." Their conversation was interrupted by a noise from downstairs.

"LUNCH!" Followed by a loud clang that could only be made from pots and pans. Lunchtime, and nearly time for Soren to speak to Mia. Damn. Rhys stood and lead Soren out of his room. Soren started to walk away first, but was stopped by a confident hand on his shoulder.

"I... I wish you as much luck as you will take, Soren." Soren swallowed a million things he wanted to say (he didn't need luck, didn't believe in luck, didn't trust luck) but only nodded and ran downstairs.

He had decided to listen to Ike, that morning. Maybe it was time he stop running from his problems. Maybe it was time he face them head-on.

* * *

Mia chased a meatball around her plate with her fork, her mind a million and one miles away. The sounds of the others washed over her like a beach wave, rolling over and away all within seconds. Boyd arguing with Rolf, again, about strength against speed. Titania chatting with Oscar and Rhys. Shinon glaring at everyone while Gatrie's words flew past him without even noticing.

And then Ike trying to make small talk with Soren, who, if possible, was even more quiet then usual. Was it because of what he said earlier? Just what did he want to talk about anyway? Mia couldn't understand why someone so anti-social (though he was opening up more) would want to go out of his way to talk to her. To her, the most energetic mercenary of all!

Mia swore lightly when her meatball fell off her plate. She quickly stabbed it and took a bite out of it viciously. She chewed it while her eyes flew over the mercenaries, her green eyes resting on Soren. He was eating his food dutifully, though it looked like Ike had forced him, because of the look on his face. Glum, disappointed, mopy. Any of those adjectives could have described the man. What was up with him? Deciding that eating alone wasn't much fun, she took her plate and walked over to Soren's table, trademark grin plastered onto her face.

"Oh! Hello Mia. Is everything alright?" Ike asked, scowling (though that was to be expected). Soren's eyes flickered up to her's, a jolt of surprise showing, then fear. Fear? Of Mia? The trueblade thought he had gotten over his irrational fear of her revealing his secret. What else could he be scared of? Still, he wasn't scared enough to avoid talking, and he said a soft,

"Hello." Before going back to eat. Mia shook her head and hesitated before placing her plate down on the table. Soren winced as the metal plate his the wooden table, but it was more of a jump then anything. Now Mia was worried. Did his reactions have something to do with him wanting to speak with her after the meal?

"Do you mind if I sit with you guys?" Mia asked. Ike shook his head and ate a bite of his pasta- Mia took that for an invitation to sit. Soren shrugged glumly and without energy, starring at his food without speaking. When Mia sat down, Soren's eyes flickered up to her again and he stood, leaving his plate (no doubt, if he didn't, some hungry person would finish it for him).

"Sorry... I have to finish a few things... Have a good meal, Ike... Mia." He walked stiffly away. Ike sighed and looked apolitically at his fellow sword-wielder.

"Huh... Well, he seemed like he was getting better." Mia shrugged and pretending that it didn't really bother her.

"He said he'd meet me in his room after lunch. Did he speak to you about..." Seeing Ike's puzzled expression, Mia trailed off. Obviously the answer was a resounding 'no'. Mia took a bite of her food as Ike replied.

"That's strange... He didn't tell me anything about that..." Mia could tell she was troubling him, but she waited as he continued. "I did tell him he should talk to you. I suppose he might be listening to me... Huh. I suppose its nice to know he's opening up. Still seems strange..." Mia raised an eyebrow as she took another bite. Strange, talking with someone about Soren made her so interested... Seeing her expression, Ike answered the unasked question- 'why'?

"I've been trying to get him to open up for _years_. Its just a little strange, he's more open then ever in just, what, three days?" It seemed like more then three days, Mia reflected. Ike took a bite of his food during the silence. Mia tried too, but realized she was out of food. Sighing, Mia decided now was as good as any other time. Standing up, Mia smiled (her face had become more thoughtful while they were talking) and picked up her plate.

"Thanks Ike! Its great talking to you, duel you later!" Dropping off her silverware and plate at the kitchen, Mia forced herself to walk normally out of the room. But, once the doors were closed behind her, she broke into a run. Soren might be acting a little strange, but that didn't change anything for Mia. And there was that ever present question in her mind, just what did Soren want?

* * *

Soren couldn't believe himself. He must have seemed like such a coward, running away instead of staying and talking with her, with Mia. He suppressed the urge to slam his head, fists, or any other body part, onto his desk. He couldn't afford for anything to go wrong. For him to freak out, now of all times, would ruin everything.

Still, it seemed like all his courage, all of his preparation, was going to go to waste. He was a coward, scared out of his mind to admit that he was growing close to someone (of the opposite gender no less!) and, to scare him even more, admit that he wanted to grow closer to someone! He trembled slightly, the possibilities of failure seeming to loom over him and engulf him.

She would hate him forever after this, for someone as low as him to so much as think they could be more then just friends. Because that's what Soren wanted, right? More then friends... Soren closed his eyes, the start of a headache forming. Damn. Just another thing to go wrong that afternoon... What next? Soren half expected bandits to attack the fort, although the thought was illogical. Three seconds and two soft-yet-confident knocks on his door later, and Soren was calming himself down after a slight shock. Lunch was over already? Damn.

"Soren? Are you there? You... You still want to talk to me, right?" Mia's voice helped sooth him down. Strange, yes, but at this point Soren was willing to accept anything to help him.

"Y-Yes Mia... C-C-Come in..." Soren sat up and smoothed down his robes and hair. Mia opened the door softly and glanced around, looking for a place to sit. Soren mentally chided himself for forgetting to give her the seat, but it was too late to stand without making a scene.

"Y-Y-You can sit on my b-b-bed." Damn, damn, damn! He was stuttering! Him, that nervous! Still, if Mia noticed (which was obvious, because Soren was slightly trembling and felt a blush on his face) she didn't say or do anything to suggest she was uncomfortable. Although, she did look nervous herself. Soren gave himself a little peace of mind knowing he wasn't the only one who wasn't quite sure what they were doing.

"What did you want to ask me Soren?" Mia's hands were curled into fists so tight they were pale. She wasn't trembling, but she did seem a little red in the face.

"W-We're friends... Right?" Soren was regaining some of his composure, though not all of it was back. He did manage to stop trembling, and he was working on loosing the red on his face. Mia nodded quickly, her face going from nervous to cheerful.

"Yep! Why?" Her face morphed into being confused. Surely Soren didn't want to talk to her in his room, just to be sure they were friends? Soren took a few deeps breaths. _'Just admit your feelings. If you try to hide anything from her, she might not think you're sincere... And considering that you spend most of your time trying to stay away from us, you'll need to be as convincing as possible.' _Rhys' words echoed in Soren's head. Time to take some advice from someone I can't trust, Soren thought grimly.

"I-I wanted to ask... I-I-I-If we can be more then... More then..." Soren swallowed the ever-growing lump in his throat. Luckily, it looked like Mia knew what he was going to say anyway. Her face lit up, as if the sun had come out behind a cloud.

"Soren! Are you... Are you serious?" She looked surprised, and happy. No sign of hate, or pain, or anything else Soren had worried about was on her face. Soren was stunned. "I thought... I thought that you'd just push me away like everyone else, but I started to realize that I didn't want that to happen. You're more fun then the rest of the mercenaries think! You're... You're nicer too, and... And I... I would love to be more then friends..." A blush was creeping over her face, and Soren didn't even want to start thinking about what _his _face looked like. Of course, Soren did have the feeling that his mouth was slightly open. He never even dared to think of their meeting going this well... Mia was the nicest person he had met, without any reasons to even pity him!

Ike was always going to have a certain place in his mind, a place no one else could even come close to reaching. But Mia... Well, it looked like Soren would need to make some room for another person then. But was calling it a place in his mind really the right thing? Maybe his heart, which was under lock and key and frozen in solid ice, was starting to become a little more open.

"M-Mia... Are you serious?" Soren had to check, had to make sure he wasn't just hearing things. "You... You don't mind? You really do want to be more then friends?" Mia nodded, standing up now. Her hands on hips, smile larger then ever before, Soren couldn't help but smile. The entire thing felt strange though, like some dream that was never meant to come true. Maybe because it really _shouldn't _be true, the idea of a happy Branded. No, not a happy Branded. A Branded with a chance of a real life.

"Soren, you have to stop thinking the world is out to get you. Because... Because..." Mia was trembling, or her hands were at least. "Because I care for you! You have no idea how much you've started to mean to me! I know everyone probably thinks you owe your life to me but... Well, you're so much smarter then me, you're strategies have gotten me (and the rest of the mercenaries) out of death's grip so many times! You've saved my life... More times then I can count!" Mia, who was much taller then Soren while the man was sitting, moved so she was kneeling and at eye-level with him. She put her hands on Soren's shoulders, the archsage unable to hide his slight discomfort.

Mia seemed to hesitate, but she continued to move, coming close enough so, two or so inches forward, their noses would be touching. Soren had, understandably, never been so close to someone without his consent. But, some part of him didn't really mind. No, no! What in the world was going on? Soren nearly pulled away, but something stopped him. The part that didn't mind? The warm feel of Mia's hands somewhat comforted him. It was just like what Ike did, seemingly years ago (but only a day, if that), to comfort him... To remind him that there was always going to be at least one person there, to protect him. Now... Well, now it looked like there was going to be two people there to protect him.

"M-Mia... I..." Soren stopped stuttering when Mia put two fingers on his lips.

"Don't... Don't talk... I-I understand." And then, suddenly, there weren't two fingers on his lips. There were the most perfect (Soren imagined) lips on his.

And then, Soren realized what it really meant to be happy. What it meant to be in perfect bliss. What being in love _really _meant.

* * *

"Ike?" The soft knocks were followed by the equally soft voice- Soren's voice. Ike felt a wave of relief roll over him. He hadn't seen the mage since he saw, from the training grounds, Soren being dragged and/or pulled into the forest by a grinning Mia. Ike could only assume Soren was 'forced' to spend the entire day relaxing instead of working.

"Soren! Come in, door's open." The hero had been a little worried when Soren hadn't shown up for dinner, but Mia hadn't either so Ike figured they were together. Or Soren was trying to make up for lost time and finish all of his jobs. Obviously it was the latter.

"Ike. Here are the inventories of all our items. It appears we are low on both swords and axes. We may need to stock up on lances as well. And we are low on fresh food, and some meat. I suggest that we send out Shinon and Rolf to go hunting. We have had three jobs offered, the details are listed in the back. Anything else you want?" Ike raised an eyebrow as Soren handed him the stack of papers. Just how much work could one person finish in only two hours? Of course... Ike wasn't sure what he'd do without Soren.

Ike shook his head and put the papers aside onto his bedside table (he was resting on recommendation from Rhys, who worried his cold might come back).

"No thanks Soren. You've already done more then you needed too." Soren nodded and turned around to head out of the room. He was about to leave when he turned back around. Able to see his face clearly now, from the candle light, Ike noticed a slight difference. Perhaps those who didn't know him well wouldn't be able to tell, but Ike could. A slight lack of seriousness, or maybe just more happiness. A look of content, a serious face betrayed by the light-hearten look in his eyes.

"Ike... About having two days to make up my mind..." Ike raised his eyebrow again.

"Yes Soren?" A pause, the sound of an intake of breath-

"I have made my mind up. I don't need another day... Goodnight Ike, I will... I will see you in the morning." With that, Ike's childhood friend seemed to grow up. He didn't need Ike anymore, not as much as before... And for some strange reason, the idea gave Ike peace of mind.

With that, Soren closed the door and left Ike's room.

_Fin_


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: **Now, now, I know what you're thinking. You already ended the story! It says complete and everything! Well, I have a surprise for you! I _did _tell you I would add an 'after' chapter, right? So here it is! Also, I put up a poll so you can vote on what pairing I write next! All FE characters, including Soren/Mia. Yes, that's right. Get enough votes and I will write ANOTHER Soren/Mia fic.

Now, if you want me to write another one of these stories but also have a liking to another pairing on the list, you can vote for three. Yes, THREE pairings.

-Ahem- Now that my little speech is over, here's the bonus chapter (ok, you only got it b/c I like this story).

**Youdon'tknow: **I AM writing the idea you gave me. It might be over 5-6 chapters, though I'm not 100% sure. I have written up some of the first chapter, already seven pages long. That's good, right? I also had a few questions about your story and all. Firstly, what do you think about yaoi (boy/boy)? And what do you think about minor swearing? -Ahem- I'm glad you liked the last chapter (right?). It was pretty fun to write, and I was wondering about the ending. I nearly ended it after the kiss between the two, but I had the scene with Ike planned out in my mind, so I didn't want to waste the thought XD Also, I know that you don't have to have a beorc and laguz parent to be Branded (take Stefan for example) but Soren is so... Well he doesn't know who his parents are and all... XD

* * *

"Do you _really _have to tell them?" Soren hissed to his favorite trueblade, as Mist ran by the two. It was right before dinner, with all the mercenaries gathering for some late night coffee and tea (and, in the cases of Gatrie and Shinon, ale). And Mia, after two days of keeping it from everyone (with some near slip-ups, and acting like a child in a candy store with an unlimited amount of gold), had finally broken down _Soren_.

So that was the cause of Soren's nervousness and their slow (he was walking so slowly Soren felt he could have been beaten to the hall by a slug) walk seemed to only extend the amount of time they could argue about the whole thing. Or, as it probably sounded like, Soren complain.

"Yes! That's the whole point about being in a relationship Soren! What are you so scared of?" Ok, that was a completely stupid question; everything and anything could go wrong. In fact, everything that could go wrong would, with an utmost certainty, go wrong!

Soren could just see Ike's look of disbelief (though he would, after a moment of shock, be fine with it) and see the other looks on the others faces. No, he didn't want to think about what the mercenaries would do. Then he would loose what little courage he had gathered up.

"Everything... Most of them think I'm a spirit charmer, and they aren't human either..." Soren's hands were already in fists _minutes_ ago. Now his teeth were clenched too. Great, he could look like he was going to have a heart attack before he actually had one. Mia glanced around for a quick moment and then grabbed Soren's closest hand and squeezed it tightly. Soren felt his face blush up, but he was able to resist the initial urge to pull away. Instead, he gave a careful squeeze back. Mia's smile and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. Soren's face went three times darker (in terms of red). Soren pulled his hand away from Mia now, earning himself a pair of puppy dog eyes from his (Soren couldn't believe he was saying this) girlfriend.

"Sor-en... Why do you care so much?" Soren was rubbing his hand as they walked, but before he could answer they reached the mess hall. "I... I really want to tell them Soren. But I won't if you're dead-set against it." Soren hesitated, swallowing as he thought. Did he want to tell anyone? No, except _maybe_ Ike. And that was a maybe. Anyone else? No freaking way.

But Soren realized that he had been wrong about so many things recently. He had never thought that he would grow so close to the (sometimes overly) energetic Mia. He had never thought anyone would know about him being a Branded either (he hadn't thought _Ike _would know). Let alone them not caring as much as he thought (if they cared at all!). So maybe... Just maybe... Something could be learned by listening to Mia.

"Do you not trust me?" You wouldn't think about it at a first glance, but as Soren was learning, she could come up with some truly crazy ways of getting you to do something she wanted. At least, that was how Soren saw it. Truly crazy. Nuts. Wacko. Insane. Soren was finding he spit out adjectives while nervous.

"Mia... You know I do, its them I don't trust." No need to ask who 'them' were. Mia sighed and leaned against his shoulder, although it was a little awkward because of the height difference. Adjusting his head so he could meet Mia's eyes, Soren sighed. "Alright... We might as well go inside eventually." Mia's smile grew and hugged Soren tightly, shocking the man a little. Maybe she wanted to keep him from running away.

The last few feet were utter torture. Hell on Earth. Could be compared to being fed to a Feral One. Then, the doors. Mia let Soren go and looked at him warmly.

"I promise I won't let anything happen to you, you know that right?" She asked. Soren looked back at her with his serious face (ok, calm and uncaring) and nodded.

"I... I know." Mia took a deep breath, as did Soren. Then she moved to open the door but Soren beat her to it. "G-Go ahead." Soren opened the door for her and ignored the looks of the mercenaries who were already eating dinner (Shepard's pie- meat and peas) as they entered the room.

"Hey Mia, Soren." Oscar smiled and nodded towards them, starting to stand to get them their dinner. Soren swallowed as Mia said,

"Actually, we wanted to tell you all something." If them entering the room together (and Soren opening the door _for _Mia) hadn't gotten their attention, Mia's somewhat loud words did. "We... We just recently started to date, and decided that you all deserved to know." The stunned silence was bad enough, but the first person to speak was Shinon, of all people.

"You two? Come on Mia, I figured you'd have better taste then skinny loners." Soren bit his tongue as Mia looked like she was about to talk back, when Ike stood up.

"Well... I'd like to say I think its great. You two..." Ike stopped as Mist started to clap, followed by Titania. "Huh. Looks like I speak for most of us." Ignoring Shinon's 'bah' Soren felt a rush of confidence run through him, squashing the urge to run the hell out of that room and go hide in a corner. Instead, he found himself reaching for Mia's hand and holding it tightly in his own.

Mia grinned and, as if to make Soren's red face as bright as Titania's hair, kissed him full-on. After listening to the initial wolf-whistles (damn Boyd) and the cheering (basically everyone else) Soren closed his eyes and deepened the kiss.

Yes, some things never got old.

* * *

"No, I don't have time to spar... I'm sorry Mia, but I've had to take inventory the past _two_ days... It is practically impossible for us to survive another day. The only reason we aren't eating stale bread and rotten meat is because Rolf and Shinon went out hunting, and Oscar was sensible enough to get some more food last time he went out last time." Soren couldn't bring himself to look at her eyes, knowing that their spars were her favorite time of day. He would have said the same thing, but he had to admit- he enjoyed relaxing at the end of the day cuddling with her more.

Soren was telling the truth too, seeing as he sparred with her nearly twice a day, sometimes more. Surely she could spar with Ike more then once a day (if at all, as she spent more time chasing down Soren for a quick fight)! And there had to be someone else besides him and Ike in the mercenaries. Surely Oscar or Mist would be willing to fight for a few rounds! Mia wasn't _that _violent, or so Soren thought.

"... I... I understand." Mia sounded a little hurt, but not overly so. Surprisingly, Mia was a little cling-y when it came to Soren. Maybe it was because everything she loved usually left her. Maybe it was just a women thing. Either way, Soren found himself needing to hurry and do his chores faster and faster, to the point of cutting some entirely! Something was _definitely _wrong with him. And Soren wasn't sure if it didn't start with a 'M'.

"You don't sound too happy about it. I can spar with you latter, if you'd like." Soren knew his voice sounded like its old perfect monotone (he had opened up an extremely small bit, where he would help Rhys train with tomes and help do more of the general chores) but, at this point, he didn't really care. He had woke up earlier then usual (sleeping in had become a strange habit he was trying to break) and finished inventory of the basic supplies before breakfast, and was then dragged into a duel with Mia.

"Hey! I know I've been acting a little cling-y, but I really enjoy being with you!... I know! I'll help yah out today and we'll be able to get things done quicker then if yah just did it yourself." Soren, for his part, was able to suppress his inner shudder. Mia sorting through weapons? She was dangerous enough with one sword, let alone a sword, ax, and a lance (most likely several of each). Soren wasn't sure he was ready to control Mia with more then one weapon, and with her amount of energy... Still, she could help out in other things, rather then inventory...

"I know you enjoy being with me Mia, and I enjoy being with you." Soren stood from where he was sitting at his desk, causing Mia to get up from his bed and stand as well. "But sorting weapons together wouldn't cut time down so much as it would help if you, say, helped Mist or Oscar with their chores... Simply put, if we do separate things then each of us have to do less, so we can spend more time together."

Mia seemed to believe and understand what he was saying, because she grinned as her eyes lit up. She put her hands on her hips and tilted her head as she replied.

"Alrighty then. We can spar right after lunch, see yah then! Love yah Soren!" Soren watched her run out of his room, smiling.

"I... I love you too, Mia."

* * *

"HYA! HA! TAKE THAT!" Soren was long since used to listening to Mia shout as she fought inanimate objects, but had long since gotten over it. He enjoyed it now, listening to her voice (even as loud as it was). He watched, silently, as she cut the wooden block Boyd had cut with an ax. Soren wasn't one hundred percent sure she even knew he was there, but that was alright.

As long as he could watch, listen, just take in her fighting ability. She was glamorous, her hair flying out behind her as her strikes hit, the speed and skill of those very same attacks. The setting sun, cooling the fort, sometimes outlined her sword and the trueblade herself, depending on which angle Soren looked at her.

"TIME TO FINISH THIS!" Mia shouted, raising her blade in the air. She flipped over and used an amazing blast of speed to chop the last few threads holding the wooden block together, and forced it over with her blow. Soren found himself sighing and could just _see _the dreamy look on his eyes. He blinked as he realized that, shaking his head as well to clear it out. He let out another sigh, this one reflecting how much he was changing and how he was unsure about the whole thing.

Did he loved Mia? Of course! Well, as much as he could find himself loving anyone. Did he want to spend all his time with her? Yes, what kind of question was that? At the same time... Was he unsettled with the changed he was facing with himself? Yes, absolutely.

All Soren knew at this point was he was relying on Mia to provide so much in his life (happiness, security, peace of mind, trust) that, before, only Ike had received.

"Hey! Soren!" She was panting heavily, sweating, and probably exhausted. She looked great to Soren, who could see the excitement in her eyes, the happiness in the way she smiled. "You want to spar?" She had to be joking, Soren thought. She still wanted to fight?

"Mia... I'm not sure that would be healthy for you, to keep going after you've already trained so hard." Soren was hesitant, though he had his elwind and elfire tomes (they had trained with fire before, though neither wanted to risk a thunder battle) and a heal staff. Mia looked thoughtful but shrugged it off.

"I'll be fine! You can just heal me up and then we can spar for a little! How about a steel blade against your elfire? I was so close to beating you that time, when I used a silver blade!" She was right- they were training more and more often with harder weapons for them. It paid off well on the battlefield, so Soren was fine with it. But he wasn't very good with elfire, spending more of his time perfecting his blizzard and arcwind spells.

"Well... Just try not to become _too _tired, alright? We need you in the best condition you can be, and it wouldn't be good if you got sick." Mia grinned and nodded, wiping from sweat off as Soren healed her. "Besides that, I'm alright with it..." Soren put down his staff and quickly moved roughly ten yards from Mia. "Now, let's start! Elfire!" Soren blasted the spell quickly and without hesitation, knowing any enemy they fought would not hold back. Mia was grazed by the spell as she tried to cover the distance before she was too badly hurt.

"N-Nice try Sor... HYA!" Mia lept forward and only extensive knowledge of her fighting skills caused Soren to avoid a major slash. Jumping back and spinning around to cast another spell. Mia was too close to completely avoid it, being only a few feet away from Soren. Instead, she raised an arm and crouched so the main part of the spell wouldn't hit her directly. Soren backed away another yard before asking,

"Are you alright? We should stop..." Soren lowered his tome as Mia stood up fully. She was burnt quite badly, and her clothes were nearly burnt off. Soren found himself blushing as she shrugged and her shirt nearly crumbled off into little scraps.

"... I can keep going... Ugh..." Mia fell to one knee and Soren ran forward, dropping his tome on the ground as he reached his girlfriend. He fell to his knees as he saw the full extent of the injuries. Damn... How could _he _have let this happen?

"Mia! Hold on!" Soren lept to his feet and ran to his staff, time starting to slow down. But he reached his staff, and ran within range within another few seconds. "Please... Stay alive, for me..." Mia, who had closed her eyes, opened them again as her wounds were healed.

"I... I know Sor-y... I... Love you..." She smiled as her strength recovered. Soren blinked back tears.

"I know. I love you too, more then... More then I can express."

* * *

Soren wasn't quite sure what he was doing, wearing a suit that was border-line huge on him (the ridiculous part was that it was made for a young Ike) and fiddling with the small golden ring he was going to give Mia.

Sure, he had thought it was logical. After all, being together for the better part of two years was something Soren had never thought in his wildest dreams. And Mia? Well, there was really nothing Soren could say about her that he hadn't said already. Was she energetic to the point of amazing Soren? Sometimes, sure. Did she love to spar to the point of obsession? Ok, that was a yes. Was Soren used to it? Of course, and he couldn't help but love Mia for it.

And the small golden ring? Yeah, calling it that made it sound so simple, so cheap, so Soren-y (which he had heard himself being described as more times then he wished). In reality it was quite expensive, costing about the same as a silver sword. Soren hated to part with that much money, but he (for once) assumed that it would be used for longer. Hoped it would be used longer.

With a small diamond in the center, and a small silver script note on the inside, unreadable unless you looked for it. _'Mia- Angel of Mine' _it read, and it was true.

Soren was then knocked out of his thoughts by his best friend speaking suddenly.

"You look great Soren!" The archsage couldn't tell if Ike was lying, or really did think Soren looked great in the old suit. It was probably out of fashion five years ago, but it would do the job. At the very least, Mia had made it clear they would have to have a somewhat public wedding. Damn, crowds and loud noises. Soren cursed whoever thought marriage was something to be celebrated by everyone you didn't know, as well as those you did but wished you didn't. And really, what was wrong with eloping? Nice and quite and no needless 'friends' watching.

Soren suddenly noticed Ike's puzzled gaze. Soren blinked and raised an eyebrow at him.

"Now go! Mia won't want to be kept waiting!" Ike gave Soren a playful shove towards the door, but the nearly-married man stopped before he left.

"Ike... You know you will always have a special place in my heart, and I will never want to leave you either..." Soren looked at his first friend and saw the hero smiling at him, a rare occurrence.

"I know Soren! But you have no idea how happy I am that you're able to find someone besides me! This is what you deserve, after so long... Happiness. Full, true, forever happiness." Then Ike moved forward and poked Soren in the back. "Now go, hurry! I can hear the piano starting already!" Soren walked out, barely able to walk calmly. He knew he didn't have to say it, but he thought it- thank you Ike. For everything.

"Soren and Mia of the Greil Mercenaries. An exceptionally gifted archsage and a wonderfully skilled trueblade." Rhys had, as a personal consideration, volunteered to be the priest bonding the two together. Not like Soren would have let another priest, but it was still a nice touch.

All the mercenaries had come, either forced by Ike or by their own will. Boyd and Mist were sitting together, the latter leaning against her boyfriend (who, in Soren's mind, was too much a coward to ask for them to be married). Titania was sitting towards the back, smiling as Rhys read off the formal information and all the flowery speech that Soren had little care for. Shinon and Gatrie were leaning in the back on the brown fence that made up the compound (being married in a converted training arena? Only Mia could have thought of that, and only someone as frugal as Soren could have approved), obviously bored.

Soren could just make out Oscar and Rolf. Stefan (who had been invited by Ike, who had made the guest list with Mia's help) was smirking to himself, and looked pleasantly surprised considering. Now, Soren wasn't completely sure who had managed to bring Kieran and Mist's old friend, Jill, to the wedding. Nor was he confident about Ranulf being there. Soren had started to feel Ike was using it as an excuse to invite his friends over, but who cared? Ok, maybe the crowd was a little much for Soren (at least he had the sensibility to not invite too many laguz, and there were no birds in sight). But if it was Ike's idea... Well, what exactly could he say to the man he owed his life too?

"Do you, Soren, swear to protect Mia with your life? Do you swear to comfort her in times of both war and peace? Do you swear to always remain by her side, though it may not be the-" Rhys' face twitched in a smirk, before returning to normal, "_logical_ thing to do?" Soren was certain his face was Titania's hair-red.

"Do you swear to always take the path she wishes, even if it is dark and hidden in shadows?" Rhys waited for Soren to reply. The archsage licked his lips nervously before nodding and saying,

"I do." Though, thinking about it, Mia was more likely to protect him then the other way around. Rhys smiled and turned towards Mia.

"Do you, Mia, swear to follow Soren in times of doubt and uncertainty? Do you swear to support him in all endeavors, to aid him in all manners possible? Do you swear to stand by him, even when things seem hopeless? Do you swear to always _watch his back_?" Soren was starting to wonder if Rhys had added some questions, but Mia had no hesitations whatsoever. That, somehow, filled Soren with happiness.

"I do." Rhys' smile was pure and reflected everything Soren felt inside. Pure (for once), happy, comforted, a feeling that there was always going to be somewhere there for him- all of the feelings threatened to run over him.

"Then I can now pronounce you husband, and wife. You may kiss-" Rhys was cut off by the loud cheer started by Ike as Soren abandoned all calm and collective emotions he had gathered, quickly holding Mia in a hug, then kissing her. And, as they kissed, Soren slipped the golden ring onto Mia's finger, as she slipped her silver ring onto his finger.

Soren was never very sentimental, and he never had anything that was an item that he cared about. But now he did.

And with the ring? Promises. A promise of a future with the most amazing woman in the world. A promise of a future without any sorrow, without any pain. A promise of a life happy and at peace. A promise that none of those promises would ever be broken.

**A/N: **Wondering about the end there- too cheesy for you? Seems like it to me. Anyhow, this is the total and complete end of this story (short, yes, but you'll live). I have another story lined up (Greil Mercenaries vs the Dawn Brigade anyone?) but it probably won't contain this pairing. Whoops?

I might, in a few weeks, start another S/M story. Probably won't, seeing as I want to start a PJO story... Huh, well, I hoped you enjoyed the totally sappy and cheesy chapter that is this story's end. Nearly last but not least, this was dedicated to **pinkdiamond4000**. Applause for this person, everyone! You can blame her for this story XD

Now, if you want me to write a story **for you** then send me a PM. I'll try to write it as long as it isn't too ridiculous (seriously, no crack people. I'll take yaoi thought XD).

Go have a happy Thanksgiving people!


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